09.20.2018
Washington, DC —
Statement by Wendy Young:
“KIND deplores the historically low number the Trump Administration has announced as its ceiling for refugees to be admitted to the United States next year. By allowing entry to only 30,000 of the most vulnerable people in the world, we are relinquishing our global leadership in protecting those most in need.
Due to their age and vulnerability, children will be most affected as many more will now languish in refugee camps for years, in dangerous conditions, and missing valuable years of growth and learning that would have enabled them to contribute to their societies. The Trump Administration is instead choosing to waste these young lives and condemn them to many more years of suffering, danger, and lost opportunities.
Resettlement has been key to addressing refugee crises over the years, for example, the refugee crisis in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War; since 1975, over 1.2 million refugees fled continuing war and persecution in the region and have been successfully resettled in the United States, the largest group to be resettled in U.S. history.
KIND is also greatly disturbed that the Administration plans to lower the ceiling on the number of refugees from the Middle East and South Asia from 17,500 to 9,000, and for refugees from Africa from 19,000 to 11,000, cutting off a vital lifeline to thousands. Adequate numbers should be allocated to refugees from Latin America, particularly Central America, where resettlement has provided a future to thousands of children whose lives were in danger due to gang violence.
It is unlikely that the Administration will even reach these levels, however, as it resettled fewer than half the number of refugees under its cap of 45,000 last year.
Our country and our society is lessened as a result of this decision.
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990