Declines in U.S. Resettlement of Muslim Refugees under the Trump Administration

Since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2017, 143 days ago, the number of refugees resettled to the United States has fallen by 61 percent when compared to the 143 days prior to the inauguration. This number has plummeted particularly sharply for Muslim refugees, as well as refugees from the seven Muslim-majority countries that were targeted by the President’s January 27 executive order. These shifts, as outlined below, signal that U.S. agencies, under the Trump administration, have drastically decreased the resettlement of these refugees, despite the fact that the courts have enjoined the provisions of this executive order, as well as the revised March 6 version, that relate to refugee resettlement and travel restrictions.