The United States has long shown bipartisan support in offering safe haven to those fleeing violence, tyranny, and persecution—safely resettling over 3 million refugees since the passage of the 1980 Refugee Act. This legacy is core to American values and has enriched our economy.
In the wake of Trump's Executive Order 13769, which capped refugee admissions at 50,000 in 2017 and disrupted thousands of lives with a 120-day pause of the resettlement program, the Administration has signaled an intent to set a refugee admissions ceiling far lower—the lowest ever on record. No U.S. president, not even in the wake of 9/11, has so turned their back on refugees. Setting a refugee admissions ceiling of no less than 75,000 refugees in 2018 is both the right thing and the smart thing to do.
