Responding to reports that the White House may drastically reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States to 40,000 next year, Amnesty International USA is calling on the administration to set the annual refugee cap at 75,000. The U.S. refugee program has long enjoyed bipartisan support, Amnesty also noted, with former President George H.W. Bush admitting more than 100,000 refugees during every year of his presidency.
Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, released the following statement:
“The Trump administration continues to shut the doors on people fleeing war and horrific violence. We all have an obligation to help people fleeing desperate situations, and the United States must lead this effort. Refugees are people who have lost everything and who need to rebuild their lives safely. The Trump administration must reconsider this decision as it very literally means life and death for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The U.S. should lead on human rights when so many lives are at stake.”