WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it will resume the refugee admissions program with increased vetting.
The Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a memorandum that they would be prioritizing refugees who are not from 11 countries — the memo does not name them — that the administration is singling out for tougher scrutiny.
The following is a statement from Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum:
“The good news is that the U.S. is resuming refugee resettlement. The bad news is that we are still keeping the door shut to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, which runs counter to our values, diminishes our moral leadership and ignores our history.
“It bears repeating: Refugees already are vetted more before entering the country than anyone else. And the number of people we are welcoming has been reduced dramatically.
“The new refugee cap, 45,000, is already such a low marker that no refugee from the deprioritized 11 countries is likely to be admitted.
“We must continue our longstanding history of welcoming the world’s most vulnerable people. Rejecting people who are fleeing persecution and violence does nothing to make us safer.”