According to a new report from the Center of Immigration Studies, President Donald Trump cut refugees by a stunning 70% percent his first 11 months in office.
Analyzing State Department data, the study revealed that Mr. Trump, compared to the same time frame under his predecessor in 2016 (January-December), cut the entry of refugees from 93,668 to 28,875. President Trump also accepted more Christians than any other religion, a change from former President Obama.
Moreover, it’s important to note that the number of admitted refugees from nations considered a terrorist threat would have been substantially lower if it had not been for judicial blocks to the administration’s travel ban. For example, once the ban was implemented on December 8, only one refugee from such designated nations, a Somali, has been accepted into the country.
Here’s the breakdown of refugees admitted under President Trump from January 20-December 20, 2017, via Center for Immigration Studies:
Total admissions: 28,875
Christians: 15,376 (53.2 percent)
Muslims: 9,235 (32 percent)
Buddhists: 1,551(5.4 percent)
Hindus: 1,112 (3.8 percent)
Now here’s the breakdown under former President Obama from January 20-December 20, 2016, via the Center for Immigration Studies:
Total admissions: 93,668
Muslims: 42,175 (45 percent)
Christians: 41,389 (44.2 percent)
Buddhists: 2,990 (3.2 percent)
Hindus: 2,041 (2.2 percent)
As noted by the center, Trump has set the ceiling for refugees in fiscal year 2018 at 45,000, “the lowest refugee ceiling since 1980.”
Though we’re seeing a massive cut in refugees on our own soil, under the Trump Administration, the United States is still the leading donor to the UN Refugee Agency ($133,795,709 for 2018).
President Trump has also agreed to settle refugees from Australia, who were committed to be accepted under then-President Obama. President Trump called the deal made by Obama “dumb” back in February, but promised to “study” it.
“The deal to resettle Australia’s unwanted asylum seekers made between Australia and the outgoing Obama administration is being carried out by the Trump administration,” says the report. “As many as 1,250 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centers on the small island nation of Nauru and on Manus Island, part of Papua New Guinea, could be resettled in the United States by 2018. The first group of 54 arrived this September. Another 200 (mainly Pakistanis, Afghanis, and Rohingya) are expected this coming year. The rest will probably follow.”
H/T John Binder