By Sarah Akers, JMU ’20 Justice Studies, Woodson Martin Democracy Program Fellow
Introduction
The refugee resettlement program in the United States has been officially regulated for just over 40 years. However, there have been many recent changes in the program, beginning under the Trump administration and with further changes evolving under the Biden administration. Refugee advocates suggest possibly a whole restructuring of how the U.S. implements refugee resettlement.
History of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
The U.S. Congress enacted the first refugee legislation in 1948 as several million people sought refuge in the wake of World War II. In 1948, more than 650,000 European refugees came to the United States. Another surge of refugees were admitted in the 1960s when Cubans were fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime en masse. This happened again with the fall of Vietnam in 1975. By 1980, Congress recognized the need for a holistic resettlement policy and the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed to standardize resettlement services for all refugees admitted to the U.S.
The Refugee Act of 1980 provided procedures for vetting, admitting, and logistically resettling refugees in the United States. Additionally, it incorporated the United Nations’ definition of a refugee and gave the president, in consultation with Congress, the authority to determine the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions each fiscal year. Finally, it formalized the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). 207,000 refugees were admitted in 1980, and the USRAP has averaged over 82,000 admissions annually. Furthermore, more than 3.1 million refugees have been admitted under this program since 1980.
Changes to the Refugee Resettlement Program Under the Trump Administration
For the majority of the USRAP’s existence, refugee resettlement enjoyed bipartisan support, which is unique for immigration-related policy. However, more recently, refugee resettlement policy has become more politicized, especially during and since the 2016 presidential election. Within days of assuming office, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order suspending refugee resettlement from seven majority-Muslim countries, widely referred to as the Muslim ban. The executive order was initially blocked by federal courts but a revised version was later created and implemented. Furthermore, the Trump administration lowered the ceiling on refugee admissions each year until a historic low was reached for the 2021 fiscal year with just 15,000 refugees allowed admission.
In addition to drastically decreasing the number of refugees admitted to the U.S., there has also been a change in the demographics of refugees admitted. In fiscal year 2016, 46% of resettled refugees were Muslim, while 44% were Christian. However, in fiscal year 2019, only 16% of admitted refugees were Muslim, while 79% were Christian. Moreover, the regional targets allocated for refugees from Europe, Asia, and Africa were surpassed for fiscal year 2019. Meanwhile, refugees from Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia represented less than one-third of the number allocated for those regions.
In 2019, President Trump also issued an executive order that authorized state and local governments to refuse to allow refugees to resettle in their jurisdictions. Texas was the only one to publicly declare its intent to opt out of the USRAP, while 42 governors declared their intention to continue to host refugees; 100 municipalities followed suit. In January 2020, a federal judge blocked the order.
Refugee Resettlement Program in 2021
The changes made to refugee policy under the Trump administration are still impacting the resettlement process today. For example, there are nine accredited resettlement agencies in the United States: Church World Service, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, International Rescue Committee, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, World Relief Corporation. They help refugees find housing, employment, and language services if needed, assist with enrolling children in school, understand public transportation, and much more. All nine of these organizations have been forced to close offices and lay off staff all across the nation due to the drastic refugee cuts in the previous four years. This will affect their capacity to welcome refugees into communities for years to come.
The Biden administration is making changes to refugee policy and the resettlement process. President Biden raised the refugee cap for fiscal year 2021, which was originally set at 15,000 by President Trump, to 62,500 in April 2021. The cap for fiscal year 2022 is set at 125,000. President Biden also issued an executive order on his first day in office that revoked the so-called Muslim Ban.
Sponsor Circles
The Biden administration is also looking into broadening the Sponsor Circle approach and has stated their intention to create a private sponsorship program for refugee resettlement beginning in 2022. In 2016, the State Department announced a private refugee sponsorship pilot program; however, it was halted by the Trump administration the following year. Sponsor Circles are a part of a new initiative that connects community sponsor groups with Afghan refugees. When the Taliban overtook the Afghan government, there was a major influx of refugees from the nation. There was also an influx of support from private citizens wanting to provide support. Because the existing resettlement agencies were already overwhelmed, the Sponsor Circle program was created to support the influx of Afghan refugees and to capitalize on the support of private individuals and communities. The initiative allows groups of five or more adults to join together to form a certified sponsor circle that will be matched with an Afghan refugee.
The circle will provide the newcomer with an initial reception and integration services, including securing housing, providing basic necessities, finding medical and language services, enrolling children in school, assisting in the search for employment, and orienting to the community. The commitment is a minimum of 90 days, and refugees must decide whether or not to opt-in to the program. Advocates have noted that putting the decision in the hands of the refugees gives them a sense of independence.
Recommendations From Refugee Advocates
Advocates for refugee resettlement see Sponsor Circles as a wonderful opportunity. However, they say it is only the first step in a lengthy process to strengthen the resettlement program. Among the changes suggested is the recommendation that private entities – businesses, religious organizations, universities, and individuals – have the ability to sponsor refugees. The current resettlement program already works as a partnership between the government and private organizations. While the State Department offers short-term support (30 to 90 days), the Department of Health and Human Services provides longer-term support by contracting the nine refugee resettlement agencies to support refugees in their transition.
While the federal government determines the number of refugees to resettle and which refugees will be resettled where, stakeholders at the local level are essential to the transition and integration process. These stakeholders include the resettlement agencies but also local schools, businesses, religious organizations, nonprofit organizations, and local governments.
Currently, private sponsorship programs for refugees are carried out in 14 other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Notably, Canada has relied on community sponsorship for decades and has resettled over 300,000 refugees through this process making it the oldest and largest private sponsorship program in the world.
While the current resettlement program in the United States is a public-private partnership, the addition of community sponsorship would complement and enhance the existing structure while facilitating and encouraging the involvement of private actors. Studies from these other nations that have implemented private sponsorship programs have shown that employment rates and language skills are improved by the programming. For example, Canada’s program has reported the following statistics: 70% of privately sponsored refugees find employment within one year of arrival while the same is true of 40% of government-sponsored refugees. This has been attributed to the hands-on approach to integration that builds relationships between the community and the refugees.
Hamidullah Noori came to the United States as an Afghan refugee in 2015 and says the resettlement system in the U.S. has been overburdened for years, even before the crisis in Afghanistan. Refugees are the ones who ultimately bear the brunt of the overwhelmed system. They are either left on military bases or are not adequately supported by overwhelmed resettlement agencies. How can we do better?
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