Trump administration planning to cap refugees at 45 000 for next fiscal year
The Trump administration  has confirmed that the U.S. plans to set a limit of 45 000 refugees for the next fiscal year -â a drop from  Trump âs 50 000 cap last year and the 110 000 that Obama pledged the U.S. would take in during his final months in office.
 The administration  plans to admit 19 000 refugees from Africa; 5 000 from East Asia; 2 000 from Europe and Central Asia; 1 500 from Latin America and the Caribbean; and 17 500 from Near East and South Asia  according to an administration plan sent to Congress.
âWe want to make sure that this is a secure process and that no one is allowed through that might endanger the security of America â one official told reporters  pointing to new vetting procedures  the administration  has already implemented as well as future ones that are being considered under an ongoing 120-day review that ends Oct. 24.
The new vetting procedures could mean longer processing times for refugees  and between this and the asylum-seeker backlog   the administration  will not be able to process as many people  according to the officials. After the 120-day review of the vetting procedures   the administration  will announce what changes will be implemented  but some additional procedures have been added already.
But officials did not explain why they needed to lower the cap if the screening procedures are already being strengthened and if the new procedures wonât necessarily take longer. They also said they donât know yet whether refugees from the countries on Trumpâs latest travel ban will be allowed to apply â- something to be determined by the 120-day review.
But a U.S. official âunequivocallyâ denied that  the Trump administration  wants to slow walk admissions in an effort to lower refugee totals even more  promising  âWe have every plan to process as many refugees as we can under this ceiling.â
Despite the 110 000 cap Obama proposed  the U.S. will have admitted only 54 000 this fiscal year  which ends Saturday -- after  Trump  initially banned refugee admissions for 120 days  then set a new 50 000 cap.
That's a point that Sen. Ben Cardin  the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  expressed concern about  asking in a statement  âHow can we credibly ask them to continue accepting refugees if we refuse to do our part?â Cardin  a top critic of  Trump 's foreign policy  also blasted âthe administrationâs indifference and lack of humanity.â
A State Department official says that since 1980  the president makes the final determination after the administration consults with Congress  meaning âthereâs always a chance it could changeâ and  Trump  could decrease or increase the number on  his  own.
There is precedent for that too. Last year  the Obama administration originally proposed a 100 000 ceiling during consultations  later changing it to 110 000. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening to consult the Senate and House Judiciary Committees  so  Trump âs decision must wait until after that.
[TGT] has confirmed that the U.S. plans to set a limit of 45 000 refugees for the next fiscal year -â a drop from  Trump âs 50 000 cap last year and the 110 000 that Obama pledged the U.S. would take in during his final months in office.
  [TGT] plans to admit 19 000 refugees from Africa; 5 000 from East Asia; 2 000 from Europe and Central Asia; 1 500 from Latin America and the Caribbean; and 17 500 from Near East and South Asia  according to an administration plan sent to Congress.
âWe want to make sure that this is a secure process and that no one is allowed through that might endanger the security of America â one official told reporters  pointing to new vetting procedures   [TGT] has already implemented as well as future ones that are being considered under an ongoing 120-day review that ends Oct. 24.
The new vetting procedures could mean longer processing times for refugees  and between this and the asylum-seeker backlog    [TGT] will not be able to process as many people  according to the officials. After the 120-day review of the vetting procedures    [TGT] will announce what changes will be implemented  but some additional procedures have been added already.
But officials did not explain why they needed to lower the cap if the screening procedures are already being strengthened and if the new procedures wonât necessarily take longer. They also said they donât know yet whether refugees from the countries on Trumpâs latest travel ban will be allowed to apply â- something to be determined by the 120-day review.
But a U.S. official âunequivocallyâ denied that   [TGT] wants to slow walk admissions in an effort to lower refugee totals even more  promising  âWe have every plan to process as many refugees as we can under this ceiling.â
Despite the 110 000 cap Obama proposed  the U.S. will have admitted only 54 000 this fiscal year  which ends Saturday -- after   [TGT] initially banned refugee admissions for 120 days  then set a new 50 000 cap.
That's a point that Sen. Ben Cardin  the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  expressed concern about  asking in a statement  âHow can we credibly ask them to continue accepting refugees if we refuse to do our part?â Cardin  a top critic of  Trump 's foreign policy  also blasted âthe administrationâs indifference and lack of humanity.â
A State Department official says that since 1980  the president makes the final determination after the administration consults with Congress  meaning âthereâs always a chance it could changeâ and   [TGT] could decrease or increase the number on   [TGT]   own.
There is precedent for that too. Last year  the Obama administration originally proposed a 100 000 ceiling during consultations  later changing it to 110 000. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening to consult the Senate and House Judiciary Committees  so   [TGT]  âs decision must wait until after that.