Author: Joseph Stepansky
Published on: 20/03/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
On January 27, the sprawling system the US uses to approve, admit and relocate refugees officially ground to a halt. The US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) had been placed under an indefinite suspension. Observers say the suspension has damaged the US's standing abroad. Thousands of refugees who had already been approved to enter the US were suddenly stranded. Other groups included families living in crowded refugee camps after fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, which codifies a formal process for admitting. USRAP issued a two-month moratorium on refugee admissions. In 2017, Trump suspended the programme for 120 days shortly after taking office for his first term. But the risk of "terrorists" exploiting refugee pathways is relatively low. The high court ruled the "Muslim ban" was allowed to stand. Trump has connected new refugee arrivals to global migration to the US. The order suspended USRAP "until such time as the further entry into the US of refugees align with the interests of the United States" In February, Judge Jamal Whitehead ruled in IRAP's favour. The judge explained Trump's indefinite suspension ran counter to the 1980 Refugee Act. USRAP has yet to return to its normal operations. Temple University's Ramji-Nogales tells Al Jazeera that even if legal challenges prevail, there are myriad other ways the Trump administration could render the program nearly ineffective. Since 1990, refugee admissions have averaged about 65,000 per year. The 1980 Refugee Act sets no minimum on the number of refugees that must be permitted. For 2021 โ the year his first term ended โ he proposed an even smaller number: 15,000. It is unclear how far Trump can legally go in minimising the programme during his second term. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says Trump's claims of anti-white discrimination are false.
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