In September, the Trump administration shared plans to cap the number of refugees admitted into the United States at 18,000. This would be the lowest number since the resettlement program was created in 1980.
On Friday, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) and 16 other congressional Republicans sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking the White House to reconsider the "record-low" level of refugees.
Using the Statue of Liberty as an example, the letter asks Pompeo to "uphold our nation’s commitment to assist individuals who have been displaced by violence and strife."
The letter also cites the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, saying there are 20 million refugees worldwide. It says that American leaders, faith groups and businesses have created an environment where refugees are welcomed and integrated into the community.
"We urge you to maintain the United States’ longstanding commitment to assist refugees with a special focus on assisting individuals hailing from nations facing the worst conditions possible," it reads.
Huizenga has been a critic of the Trump administration's refugee and immigration policies. In June of 2018, the congressman was turned away by federal authorities from seeing immigrant children being housed at Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids. At the time, he called for the end of the family separation policy at the southern border.
In a statement Huizenga issued along with the letter, he upheld West Michigan as an example to follow.
“America cannot lead from behind on the issue of religious persecution and refugee resettlement,” said Huizenga. “West Michigan has a long standing tradition of opening its doors to those facing persecution as well as welcoming individuals who have been displaced because of armed conflict. Whether it is our faith-based institutions, non-profit organizations, or individuals within the community, West Michigan continues to set an example Washington could learn from. The Trump Administration should reconsider its position.”
The letter was also signed by Michigan's Rep. Fred Upton (St. Joseph).
West Michigan-based Bethany Christian Services is concerned about the low limit of refugees that will be admitted. Following Trump's proposal, the agency said it had to cancel flights and preparations for 30 refugees.
"We have a lot of families that are waiting for their relatives to come here, particularly those from the Congolese and the Burmese communities," said Kristine Van Noord, the director for Bethany Christian Services' refugee adult and family programs. "With the reduced number of refugees coming...it may mean families are separated for a longer period of time."
When the refugee resettlement program started nearly 40 years ago, over 231,000 refugees were resettled in one year, but after 1981 that number dropped dramatically. In recent years, the cap has remained around 70,000 or 80,000, until President Donald Trump took office.
Since 2017, the Trump administration has lowered the cap every year. During President Barack Obama's last year in office, the limit was set at 85,000 refugees. When Trump took over, the cap was set at 110,000—a residual Obama policy—but only 53,000 were admitted. The limit has plummeted since then to 45,000 in 2018 and 30,000 in 2019.
Last year, only 22,000 refugees were admitted into the country—less than half of the limit.
The final decision on the cap for the 2020 fiscal year must include a consultation with Congress. A Democrat-led House of Representatives could push for a higher total.
Huizenga represents Michigan's 2nd district, which includes a large section of West Michigan's lakeshore counties. He is hosting a telephone town hall on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.
The five-term congressman has a Democratic challenger for the 2020 election. Rev. Bryan Berghoef announced his candidacy in July.
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