Haaland Calls Attention to Local Economic Impact of Decision to Reduce Refugee Admissions, Signs Letter to President Trump Urging Support for Refugees

Washington, D.C. – This afternoon, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) called attention to the local economic impact of President Trump’s decision to slash refugee admissions and signed a letter urging President Trump to rescind his unprecedented decision to reduce the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 to 18,000. The letter demands the Administration increase the number to 110,000, which better reflects American values. According to data from Lutheran Family Services of the Rocky Mountains, since 2016, 24 refugees have become homeowners in New Mexico, 59 refugees have started their own business, and refugees have contributed over $3.8 million to the local economy.

“In New Mexico, we welcome everyone no matter where they are from and refugees are an essential part of our communities – they pay taxes, build businesses, their children have friends at school, and they deserve to be safe and create better lives for their families. Sadly, this Administration is overlooking our core values, putting families in harm’s way, and ignoring the benefits refugees bring to local economies,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland. “I’m joining my colleagues in urging President Trump to reverse his unprecedented decision and support those seeking refuge in our country, so they can continue to contribute to our communities and economy.”

Many refugees call New Mexico home. Since April of 2012 Lutheran Family Services of the Rocky Mountains has facilitated the process to welcome 1,206 refugees to the state. At the beginning of October, Haaland met with refugee entrepreneurs to discuss their concerns and fully understand the impact the Administration’s new limits would have on New Mexico’s economy.

“I know firsthand the spirit of welcome that makes New Mexico a wonderful place for refugees to start their new lives. Lutheran Family Services has worked in New Mexico since 2012, and in that time we have resettled close to 1,500 refugees. Also, 24 refugees have bought homes and 59 refugees have opened businesses. We are hopeful that the Presidential Determination will be raised so that refugees can continue to find safety and welcome in New Mexico,” said James Horan, President and CEO of Lutheran Family Services.

The recent decision by the Trump Administration follows a pattern to reduce Refugee Admissions. The Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year 2017 was 110,000 and was reduced to 45,000 in 2018 and then 30,000 in 2019. The Presidential Determination of 30,000 is the lowest level ever set by a President. The refugee admission process into the U.S. is considered one of the strictest in the world, and under President Trump it has become even more restricted.

In February, Haaland toured the border, discussed concerns of Customs and Border Patrol personnel, sat down with local advocates representing migrants fleeing violence and seeking asylum under our laws, and visited a hospitality center for migrants managed by the non-profit Annunciation House.

“This Administration is targeting refugees and it’s not a coincidence – President Trump clearly incites fear about immigrants and has done so from the beginning. We cannot let their fearmongering drive policy and put refugees in danger. I believe that all people seeking refuge should be welcome in our country – it’s why I joined my colleagues in calling on the President to change course,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland.

While the Trump Administration continues to make unprecedented decisions to limit migration into the U.S., New Mexicans have welcomed refugees with open arms. Congresswoman Deb Haaland will continue to ensure refugees can call New Mexico home.

Full version of the letter to President Trump is available here and below:

October 23, 2019

Donald J. Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC

Dear Mr. Trump:

We write to encourage you to set the Presidential Determination (PD) for Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 at 110,000. Your decision to set the cap at 18,000 is unconscionable in a world where nearly one person is forcibly uprooted every two seconds.

For several years now, the world has remained mired in what is the largest refugee crisis in recorded history. Over 70 million people spanning the earth have been displaced for terrible causes ranging from violence and famine to persecution and war. Over 25 million refugees are included in that dreadful toll, including over half of whom are under the age of 18. Our responsibility to help more of these victims is imperative. Throughout our history, the United States has been a beacon of hope and sanctuary for refugees fleeing for their lives. And, importantly, these refugees are already the most thoroughly vetted people who enter our borders, ensuring that they pose no national security threat to our communities.

Indeed, as both Republican and Democratic administrations have confirmed, the United States screens refugees more stringently than any other traveler allowed to enter the United States. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has safely and successfully resettled more than three million refugees from around the world to American communities across the country since 1975. Refugee applicants must undergo a robust and thorough screening process that takes roughly two years and involves our nation’s top security and counterterror experts. The exhaustive vetting process includes checking fingerprints and other biometric data against terrorist and criminal databases and multiple interviews through various Federal agencies.

Since the enactment of the 1980 Refugee Act, the average annual goal for refugee admissions has been 95,000. In Fiscal Year 2016, the U.S. resettled approximately 85,000 refugees, and the Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year 2017 was 110,000. During the worst refugee crisis in the world, these resettlement numbers pale in comparison to the support our allies are providing and that our moral leadership commands. Since Executive Order 13769 was signed, the number of refugees coming to the United States each month has dropped precipitously. Australia, Norway, Canada, Sweden, and Finland all accept more refugees per capita than the United States. Failing to do our part to alleviate this global crisis undermines our leadership, diplomacy, and national security.

Your administration’s prior PD of 30,000 for Fiscal Year 2019 was already the lowest number ever set by a U.S. executive. It was a dereliction that was rightly scorned in Congress and across the world. The lowering the number to 18,000 is an unprecedented embarrassment. It is a complete, perhaps final dereliction of our generations of American international stewardship.

In his final official speech as President, Ronald Reagan spoke about immigration and the future of America. He observed that America’s welcoming of people from all over the world “continuously renew and enrich our nation.” In profound words, he said that “[t]hanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting, always leading the world to the next frontier.” Reagan warned that if America ever closed its “golden door” to “new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”

Your decision to set this PD at 18,000 runs counter to these intonations and fulfill your predecessor’s worst fears about our national future. We reiterate our call for you to increase the Presidential Determination for Refugee Admissions to 110,000. Our future depends on that charity and far-sightedness.

Sincerely,