The Biden administration will not raise the U.S. refugee cap from its historically low level set by the Trump administration, a senior administration official told The New York Times.
While President Biden previously pledged to welcome more than 60,000 refugees, rather than the 15,000 maximum set by his predecessor, the White House will instead keep the target of refugee admissions at the lower level. The reversal "signals the president's hesitant approach to rebuilding an immigration system gutted by his successor," writes the Times, noting hundreds of refugees fleeing war and religious persecution have already been left in limbo by the delayed decision on the cap.
The decision reportedly comes as a result of a surge of migrants at the southern border, which has "already overwhelmed the refugee branch of the Department of Health and Human Services," though asylum seekers go through a different process than refugees seeking protections.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read more at The New York Times.
-
How ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ has brought out the worst in its fansIn the Spotlight Amazon’s love-triangle hit ‘driving some of the most bonkers and unhinged online energy in the history of the internet’
-
Human evolution may be responsible for autism ratesUnder the radar Neurodiversity and a complex brain may go hand in hand
-
Codeword: September 17, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government buildingSpeed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU officesSpeed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping missionSpeed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peaceSpeed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest warSpeed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
