Refugee Ceiling Increase an Opportunity to Restore American Values    

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration today proposed increasing the refugee admissions ceiling to 125,000 for fiscal year 2022, signaling a return to previous levels after record lows under the Trump administration.   

This is the second proposed refugee ceiling increase from the Biden administration, which initially raised the admissions cap in May to 62,500 from President Trump’s historic low of 15,000. Throughout Trump's time in office, cuts to refugee admissions resulted in a dramatic shrinking of the government agencies and nonprofit organizations responsible for resettling refugees.   

"It’s heartening to see the administration take decisive action toward restoring the American tradition of welcome," said Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. "Raising the refugee ceiling will have long-lasting and far-reaching effects for families seeking safety, for the American communities they enrich, and for our position as a standard-bearer in the international community.   

"However, this victory is not without challenges. If we want to live up to our resettlement potential, we need to prioritize rebuilding the capacity of federal agencies and refugee resettlement organizations to ensure they have the resources and support necessary to accept refugees and equip their communities to embrace them.  The recent outpouring of support nationwide for refugee resettlement must now translate to the congressional action needed to make this a reality." 

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