USCIS has announced the creation of a new specialized Vetting Center in Atlanta designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to identify and screen out terrorists, criminal aliens, fraudsters, and others who may pose threats to public safety. The center will centralize enhanced vetting operations and respond more quickly to evolving national security concerns. According to Director Joseph B. Edlow, the center is part of a broader shift toward more rigorous screening measures following recent violent incidents involving foreign nationals. Once fully operational, the Vetting Center will use a wide range of classified and unclassified resources, advanced technology—including artificial intelligence—and data from DHS and the intelligence community to conduct deeper reviews of both pending and previously approved applications. Its work will prioritize cases from countries identified as higher risk and aligns with Executive Order 14161, which directs tighter scrutiny of foreign nationals. This initiative follows several related actions, including pausing affirmative asylum decisions, increasing hiring of homeland security personnel, proposing stricter vetting before issuing employment authorization extensions, and empowering USCIS special agents with law enforcement authority.