America has long been a beacon for the world’s persecuted and unfree. Woven into our national fabric, this principle reflects our deepest values and enduring moral leadership. As part of this legacy, the United States has welcomed over three million refugees since 1980. The United States refugee program was born in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, a response to the need to welcome our Vietnamese allies when Saigon fell. Since the start of the modern refugee program, the United States — with USCRI as one of its longest-serving partners — has helped resettle families from every region of the world, reflecting our nation’s enduring commitment to offer safety and opportunity to those fleeing persecution.
In their homeland, refugees can face serious harm, including torture, war, ethnic cleansing and genocide. They are Afghan women injured at the hands of the Taliban, Uyghurs speaking out against the Chinese government, religious minorities in Iran hoping to practice their faith freely, Sudanese children fleeing paramilitary violence. The United States has long been a beacon of hope for displaced persons, providing refugees the opportunity to rebuild their lives, pursue their aspirations, and ultimately become citizens should they wish to.
When welcomed, refugees help America prosper. Refugees are healthcare workers, farmers, artists—citizens of our nation. At USCRI, we have proudly welcomed more than 400,000 new Americans who have gone on to become business owners, citizens, members of our armed forces, and community leaders. Refugees contribute over 90 billion dollars to the U.S. economy a year and are more likely than native-born citizens to start a business. Tellingly, recent polling from Data for Progress, Refugee Advocacy Lab, and Refugees International found that two-thirds of American voters support the refugee program.
But this legacy of welcome is at risk. Recent reports indicate that the refugee admissions ceiling will be set at 7,500 people, and that the range of populations eligible for resettlement will be sharply reduced from historic norms. This is a record low that betrays a long and proud history of welcome across the country.
There has never been a worse time for the United States to abandon its commitment to refugees. With conflict and displacement continuing unabated, the number of refugees in the world today is more than double what it was in the previous decade. Generations are trapped in limbo, many in displacement camps or in urban settings with limited access to work, education, or pathways to a permanent status. Protection mechanisms have corroded, and many are unable to work in their country of asylum. They are afforded no permanent home, no place to put down roots.
America is a nation that does not shrink from its humanitarian obligations but rises to meet them. For more than 45 years, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and its state and local partners have stood ready to support the United States in this commitment. We stand ready to do our part.
Supporting refugee resettlement sends a message—that America’s promise as the land of freedom and opportunity has not faded.
The 1980 Refugee Act established a national framework for refugee protection, aligning U.S. law with international standards. Under this framework, a refugee, is defined as an individual who has fled their country and cannot safely return because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. In the United States,refugees are processed and admitted to the United States from abroad through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). By contrast, an asylee is someone who meets the same legal definition but seeks protection from within the United States or at a U.S. port of entry.
