The White House, on Monday, Lifted the Refugee Cap to 62,500, Biden's Original Plan to dramatically Increase the Number of Refugees that can be Admitted into the U.S.
“Today, I am revising the United States’ annual refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for this fiscal year,” Biden said in a statement. “This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America’s values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees.” “It is important to take this action today to remove any lingering doubt in the minds of refugees around the world who have suffered so much, and who are anxiously waiting for their new lives to begin,” Biden added.
The Administration announced, in a separate Memorandum, that of the 62,500 Slots being made Available are:
- 22,000 to Africa.
- 13,000 to Near East and South Asia.
- 6,000 to East Asia.
- 4,000 to Europe and Central Asia.
- 5,000 to Latin America and the Caribbean.
- 12,500 would remain Unallocated.
The President acknowledged that the Country would Not hit the Cap this year, cautioning that it would take Time to Rebuild the Infrastructure needed to Take-In and Support Tens of Thousands of Refugees as the U.S. has Traditionally done. He expressed a Commitment to setting the Cap at 125,000 Refugees during his First Full Fiscal year in Office. “The sad truth is that we will not achieve 62,500 admissions this year,” he wrote in the announcement. “We are working quickly to undo the damage of the last four years. It will take some time, but that work is already underway.”
The Administration, in February, called for Raising the Refugee cap to 125,000 by the End of Biden's First year in Office, a Target that would require allowing 62,500 Refugees fleeing War, Persecution, and Natural Disasters to enter the U.S. this Fiscal year. The High Figure was Set to be a Dramatic Turnaround from the Trump Administration, whose 15,000 Cap during its last Three years in Office was an all time Low.
But the Biden Administration later hedged those Figures as it was being Hammered by Republicans for the Influx of Migrants at the Southern Border. In an April Letter to the State Department, the White House said it would keep the 15,000 Limit set by Trump. After a day of Backlash, however, Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, walked that Back slightly, suggesting Only that Biden would be Unable to Meet his Original Goal and that the 15,000 was Not Final. “For the past few weeks, he has been consulting with his advisers to determine what number of refugees could realistically be admitted to the United States between now and Oct. 1. Given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited, and burdens on the Office of Refugee Resettlement, his initial goal of 62,500 seems unlikely,” Psaki said at the time.
Biden’s Decision to Set the Cap at 62,500 even as he Conceded it would be Unlikely to be Met further Raises Questions about why the White House did Not just Raise the Cap in the First Place and Not Hit its ceiling.
Instead, the Administration’s Handling of the Issue prompted a days-long News Cycle where Officials faced Questions about the White House’s Priorities and endured Criticism from Lawmakers who noted Hundreds of Refugees had already Scheduled Flights and gone through Health and Security Screenings expecting the Cap would be Lifted sooner.
Psaki told Reporters, last month, that Biden made the Initial Announcement about Raising the Cap in February, only to Learn more about potential Issues that would Prevent him from being able to Follow Through.
Lawmakers who had pushed Biden on the Issue in recent weeks, such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN, 5th District), were Not given Advance Notice of the Cap announcement on Monday.
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