The Week
Democrats condemn Biden’s reversal on refugee cap as ‘cruel’ and ‘unacceptable’
The Biden administration confronted swift criticism on Friday after it was reported that it might now not elevate america’ refugee cap from the historic low set by the Trump administration. Slightly than stick with its pledge to welcome greater than 60,000 refugees, reasonably than the 15,000 most set by former President Donald Trump, the White Home will as a substitute hold the goal of refugee admissions on the decrease degree. Democrats and advocacy teams condemned the information as “merciless” and “unacceptable,” and famous that the Biden administration was utilizing the identical justification that Trump did. Fully and totally unacceptable. Biden promised to welcome immigrants, and folks voted for him primarily based on that promise. Upholding the xenophobic and racist insurance policies of the Trump admin, incl the traditionally low + plummeted refugee cap, is flat out fallacious. Hold your promise. https://t.co/A82xYf1XpR — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 16, 2021 Biden’s group is utilizing the identical rationale to justify a traditionally low refugee cap as Trump’s did, pointing to the big inflow of asylum-seekers (which aren’t the identical). At left, what a Biden official instructed @KannoYoungs in the present day; at proper, what a Trump official instructed me in 2018. pic.twitter.com/26PDfh3rM2 — Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) April 16, 2021 Biden retains the Trump / Stephen Miller refugee cap. Genuinely curious to listen to Biden allies clarify how what was “racist” and “merciless” beneath Trump is now enlightened and humane. https://t.co/1kRFNqbiqg — Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) April 16, 2021 Reuters reviews the choice “seems to have been tied to considerations over the optics of admitting extra refugees at a time of rising numbers of migrants arriving on the U.S.-Mexico border in latest months.” An official reportedly instructed Reuters the administration would not need to look too “comfortable” or “too open.” Although officers are reportedly arguing that migrants looking for asylum have overwhelmed the system, “refugees are processed in a different way within the U.S. immigration system than asylum seekers,” writes Reuters. Whereas the administration took warmth from many angles, it discovered assist from former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who was the architect of lots of the Trump administration’s harshest immigration insurance policies, together with the all-time-lowest refugee cap. Miller argued it made sense and mentioned the refugee cap ought to truly “be diminished to ZERO.” Extra tales from theweek.com5 colossally humorous cartoons about Biden’s infrastructure planBiden administration will improve refugee cap after Democratic criticismThe query that may resolve the Chauvin case
