The U.S. just got a taste of what life would be like under a total refugee ban.
In what's almost like a test run of what President Trump's administration has already teased, the U.S. hasn't settled a single refugee so far in the month of October. And with a moratorium on resettlement now extended into November, there's a very slim chance any refugees will make it to the country at all this month, CNN reports.
It's typical for refugee admissions to pause at the beginning of October as the new fiscal year begins. But then flights for refugees admitted to the U.S. were paused until Oct. 21, and then until Oct. 28, and now until Nov. 5. In all, 500 flights for incoming refugees were canceled so far, CNN says.
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The delay suggests Trump hasn't signed the bill authorizing next year's refugee cap, which is historically low as it stands. After reportedly trying to knock the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. down to zero, the State Department allotted 18,000 spots for refugees in the current fiscal year. That's the lowest cap in the resettlement program's history, and it's clearly already off to an even lower start.
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