The Trump administration is poised to authorize no more than 15,000 refugee admissions to the United States for Fiscal Year 2021—yet another historically low entry in President Trump’s effort to destroy the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced people who sponsor a family member, and some employers, will have to provide detailed, notarized, bank account information if they want to bring someone to the U.S. Fortunately, there is still time to push back against these new sponsorship requirements, and remind Trump that welcoming immigrants and supporting families is a good thing.
As countries shut down their borders and order lockdowns in our homes, we are all absorbing the message that survival depends on distance. But survival also depends on kindness, compassion and taking care of each other. There are ways to keep safe without abandoning our international obligations or our humanity.
Last week, Trump proposed a reduction in the number of refugee admissions to 18,000 persons for 2020, the lowest number in the 40-year history of the refugee program. Simultaneously, he issued an executive order requiring states and localities to consent to the placement of refugees in their communities.