Press Release
Published on October 4, 2018
Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2019, which caps the number of refugees to be admitted to the United States at 30,000, Human Rights First’s Jennifer Quigley issued the following statement:
Today’s official announcement that the United States will admit the lowest number of refugees in history, is a tragic and disgraceful response to the global refugee crisis. By slamming the door on these men, women, and children, the Trump Administration is telling the world that the United States has fallen victim to its basest impulses and is no longer a beacon for those who yearn to live in freedom. This is an abandonment of the very ideals that made our country great.
In addition to the overall reduction in the number of refugees for Fiscal Year 2019, the number of refugees from the Middle East to be resettled has been reduced to 9,000 from 17,500 last year. This reduction will put more stress on front-line refugee hosting nations, who continue to support the vast majority of the world’s refugees, and whose stability is critical to U.S. foreign policy and security interests. It will also further harm Iraqi refugees stuck in the resettlement backlog, including many who are at risk due to their work for the U.S. military or other U.S. entities.
For more information or to speak with Quigley contact Corinne Duffy at DuffyC@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3319.
