Thousands of refugees face a locked American door

One of the provisions of President Trump’s executive order on immigrationthat that has all but been ignored slashed by more than half the total number of refugees from any country and any religion who can be allowed in the United States this year.

And two-thirds of that sharply-reduced number have already been admitted.

President Obama had raised the annual global refugee quota the United States would accept, from 85,000 that had prevailed for several years to 110,000 for the 2017 fiscal year.  But President Trump’s executive order dropped that number to 50,000. Through early February, some 30,000 have already been admitted, leaving 20,000 to be allowed in through September before the doors slam on everyone.

“All of us in refugee resettlement have been deeply concerned about this,” said Chris George, executive director of New Haven-based Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services. “But no one has challenged the President’s authority in setting a ceiling on the number of refugees overall allowed into the country each year.”

According to American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, “The (Ninth Circuit) Court of Appeals did not address one way or the other the overall refugee cap.” Which should mean that it stands untouched in the executive order.

Europe, too, has slashed its quotas, but they are still substantially above the US number.

[CNN]

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation by Grant Montgomery.