Refugee Program Frozen as US Towns Buckle Under Pressure
Published Date: 1/30/2025
Presidential Document
Summary
The U.S. is hitting pause on its Refugee Admissions Program because too many refugees have arrived too fast, making it tough for cities and towns to keep up. This change affects refugees hoping to come to the U.S. and gives local communities more say in who settles where. The program stays suspended until it can safely and smartly support both refugees and American communities without stretching resources too thin.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Suspension of Refugee Admissions
The President ordered that entry of refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) be suspended beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 27, 2025. Decisions on applications for refugee status are also suspended until a later finding; the Secretary of Homeland Security must report within 90 days and every 90 days thereafter about whether resumption would be in the interests of the United States.
More Local Role in Placement Decisions
The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, must examine existing law and devise a proposal to give State and local jurisdictions greater involvement in determining placement or resettlement of refugees. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services must ensure the State and local consultation requirements in 8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(2) are carried out for all refugees admitted.
Case-by-Case Refugee Exceptions
Despite the suspension, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security may jointly admit individual aliens as refugees on a case-by-case basis if they determine the admission is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to U.S. security or welfare. Such admissions are discretionary and limited to cases meeting those conditions.
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