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Biden Breaks Promise to Refugees
Posted on Apr 16 2021
April 16, 2021— President Biden today reversed his promise, made publicly and in a message to Congress, to increase refugee admissions this year to 62,500. This action closes the door to refugees who have been waiting for years to come to safety in the United States.
“President Biden just slammed the door on refugees,” said Veena Iyer, Executive Director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. “By saying he will abide by the historically and incredibly low limit for refugee admissions set by Trump, he has betrayed his promise.”
Refugee resettlement organizations, while gutted by the Trump administration, remain ready and willing to ramp up resettlement. They have repeatedly called on President Biden to keep his promise and begin admitting refugees. Just last week, John Slocum, interim executive director of Refugee Council USA, said that refugee admissions of 62,500 this year would be “fully within our capacity to manage, both in terms of the relevant government agencies, as well as the nonprofit and faith-based entities that serve refugees through a nationwide public-private partnership.”
Biden’s broken promise means refugees who have already been through the arduous three-year process of vetting and approval, who have already disposed of their possessions, and who have visas and airline tickets in hand, will not be admitted.
Biden’s policy reversal will cost lives, like the life of the Afghan man assassinated by the Taliban in January because of his assistance to the U.S. military. His visa had been approved, but he and his family were kept waiting in Afghanistan. His family is still there, and still in danger.
“Today’s announcement is a sore disappointment to refugees worldwide and to refugee communities in Minnesota and the United States,” said Iyer. “We can and should be welcoming refugees in light of humanitarian crises, such as the one in Myanmar, not keeping unjust, xenophobic policies in place.”