![]() ![]() accepts each year, characterizing refugees as a danger to national security. Refugee resettlement, a bipartisan issue since President Jimmy Carter signed the Refugee Act of 1980, became a political hot potato during the Trump years.įormer President Donald Trump made deep cuts to the maximum number of refugees the U.S. "But until the Emergency Presidential Determination is finalized, our refugee policy remains unacceptably draconian and discriminatory." Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Jayapal, and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., wrote in a letter. "Having fought for four years against the Trump Administration's full-scale assault on refugee resettlement in the United States, we were relieved to see you commit to increasing our refugee resettlement numbers so early in your Administration," Reps. Another 1,000 slots were unallocated.įriday's announcement came as progressive lawmakers, including Jayapal, called on the president to fulfill his campaign pledge. The administration said it intended to use all 15,000 slots available, allocating 7,000 for Africa, 1,000 for East Asia, 1,500 for Europe and Central Asia, 3,000 for Latin America and the Caribbean, 1,500 for the Near East and South Asia. Those remarks were reiterated by Psaki, the White House press secretary, who said on Twitter: "This is just the beginning." "We will use all 15,000 slots under the new Determination and work with Congress on increasing admissions and building back to the numbers to which we've committed." "America needs to rebuild our refugee resettlement program," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a tweet explaining the initial response. The White House also pledged to work with Congress if it's needed to increase it sooner due to emergencies. refugee admissions program was "decimated" under the Trump administration and pledged to increase the admission level in the future as it works to rebuild the system. The White House denied accusations that the initial move was motivated by political pressure due to the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border - which in March saw the largest number of migrant encounters in at least 15 years. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said it was "simply unacceptable and unconscionable." Julian Castro, a former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, called it "a bad decision," and Rep. "Say it ain't so, President Joe," he said in a statement. 2 Democrat, calling the Trump-era level "unacceptable." "We are reaching out to the White House to understand why this figure is a fraction of what the administration committed to in congressional consultations," Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, one of the agencies involved in refugee resettlement in the United States, said after the initial announcement.īiden's fellow Democrats also blasted the move, with Sen. The about-face on Friday came after the initial White House decision was panned by Democrats, refugee advocates and human rights groups. The Coronavirus Crisis Life Is 'Really Tough' For Refugees Trying To Settle In Pandemic America
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