U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL), co-chairman of the U.S. House bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, denounced the Trump administration’s new cap on the number of refugees who will be admitted into the United States during 2019.
“With the world in the midst of the worst refugee crisis in recorded history, with 65 million people displaced, 22.5 million of whom are refugees, American global leadership in refugee resettlement and standing as a beacon of hope is more critical than ever before,” said Rep. Hultgren in a joint Sept. 19 statement made with U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), who also co-chairs the human rights commission.
“We join together to express our extreme disappointment at the administration’s proposal to impose a limit on admitting no more than 30,000 refugees in the coming fiscal year,” the congressmen said.
Throughout the nearly 40 years of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, the average refugee ceiling was set above 90,000, until 2017 when the Trump administration cut the cap to 45,000 individuals.
Reps. Hultgren and McGovern called the proposed 2019 ceiling “alarmingly inadequate” and said it remained significantly below America’s average refugee admission goal of 95,000 “and even a steep cut from the 45,000 allowed in this year.”
“We are deeply concerned that of the 45,000 allowed into the U.S. this year, only 21,000 have been accepted,” the members said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a Monday State Department press conference that the United States anticipates processing up to 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Fiscal Year 2019.
“We propose resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new refugee ceiling, as well as processing more than 280,000 asylum seekers,” the secretary said. “They will join the over 800,000 asylum seekers who are already inside the United States and who are awaiting adjudication of their claims.
“These expansive figures continue the United States’ long-standing record of the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance,” he added.
However, Reps. Hultgren and McGovern think those numbers are too low and essentially translate into America’s abandonment of refugees.
“The United States cannot abandon its role as a place of sanctuary for the individuals and families seeking to escape violence, turmoil and persecution,” they said. “We cannot turn our back on the international community in a time of historic need.”
The lawmakers said that refugee resettlement has been and should remain a cornerstone of American foreign policy and the nation should be “stepping up to provide a safe and legal alternative for those most in need of safety,” they said.
The lawmakers also pointed out that when the United States is a safe haven for refugees, national security is improved. “Resettlement is crucial to alleviate instability throughout the world, maintain strong relationships with our allies, and advance our foreign policy interests,” said the representatives.
They urged the administration “to reconsider its position to comport with global realities.”