Amid Record Global Displacement, U.S. Lowers Refugee Admissions to Historic Lows

USCRI Reaffirms Commitment to Refugees at Home and Worldwide

Arlington, VA — [October 31, 2025] — Today, the White House set the FY 2026 refugee admissions goal at just 7,500 refugee admissions. This number represents the lowest refugee admissions goal in the history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) at a time of significant global resettlement need.  

“USCRI is deeply disappointed that the United States’ commitment to refugees is not in step with the alarming level of forced displacement around the world,” said Eskinder Negash, President and CEO of USCRI. “We urge the Administration to maintain and strengthen its historic leadership by supporting refugees who have safely resettled in American communities and the thousands more who have already been conditionally approved for resettlement and are waiting overseas to be processed. At a time of growing instability and declining humanitarian assistance around the world, we cannot lose our conviction to protect humanity. USCRI will continue to advocate for displaced populations who urgently need safety and protection.”

Today’s announcement undermines decades of bipartisan support for the refugee program. It also disregards urgent international calls to expand durable protections for the more than 123.2 million refugees and internally displaced people worldwide who are forcibly displaced due to persecution, violence, and human rights violations.

The decision also stands in stark contrast to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2024 Global Trends report, which highlights historic levels of displacement and identifies 2.5 million refugees in need of resettlement. Despite these figures, fewer than one percent of refugees in need are ever resettled—a sobering reminder of the gap between global commitments and pathways to protection.

The White House published the refugee admissions goal without legally required Congressional consultations, including the submission of a “Report to Congress.” The White House announcement states that admissions will “primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204, and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”  The absence of the required Report to Congress leaves significant uncertainty about how the Administration intends to implement the program and prioritize admissions.

“USCRI has spent the past century welcoming newcomers to the United States. We know from first-hand experience that refugee resettlement strengthens communities across the country,” said Negash. “When refugees rebuild their lives here, they contribute to our shared prosperity. Refugees enrich America. They make our communities stronger. We must renew our nation’s proud humanitarian tradition.”  

Background

This year’s Presidential Determination leaves thousands of refugees in limbo. Many have spent years navigating the USRAP process and were already at the final stages of screening and approval at the start of 2025. In January 2025, the Trump Administration indefinitely suspended refugee admissions, which abruptly deserted over 120,000 refugees in the USRAP pipeline. Despite having completed extensive interviews and security clearances, none of these individuals seem to have been prioritized for admission in FY 2026 according to the announcement published today, leaving them in uncertainty and, for some, facing impossible choices about their safety and future.

Since its founding in 1911, USCRI has helped forcibly displaced people and, since 1978, has been a formal partner of the U.S. Government in resettlement efforts. USCRI continues to welcome and support refugees and special immigrant visa (SIV) holders across its nationwide offices and network organizations, working alongside community partners to ensure newcomers can thrive and contribute to American life.

About USCRI
 

USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.

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This statement can be found here.