Trump Admin Officially Sets Refugee Cap at Lowest Ever
Washington, D.C.—In response to the Trump Administration’s memorandum today officially capping the refugee admissions goal for fiscal year 2018 at an all-time low of 45,000, Human Rights First’s President and CEO Elisa Massimino issued the following statement:
“At a time when the world faces the gravest refugee crisis in human history, President Trump’s decision to cut refugee admissions to historic lows is cruel and cowardly. It’s also a strategic mistake. Refugees face more stringent vetting than any other group allowed to enter the United States, and the administration’s own study shows that they produce a net gain for the country financially. This abdication of leadership from the president sends a terrible signal, not only to the persecuted and oppressed who look to us for protection, but also to frontline states—U.S. allies who host the majority of refugees.
“Even in the weeks immediately following the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush recognized the importance of maintaining a robust program of refugee admissions as a symbol to the world that American ideals would not be traded away in the name of national security. Today’s decision is a new low.”
