SILVER SPRING, Md. -HIAS condemns the unprecedented manipulation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program through the Presidential Determination (PD). The PD, a statement of planned refugee admissions and priorities, was published in the Federal Register today, a full month after the start of the 2026 fiscal year to which it applies.
The PD does not currently comply with the U.S. statute, as it was signed before conducting the legally mandated consultations with congress. The consultations, codified in detail in the 1980 Refugee Act, require bipartisan engagement in discussing refugee resettlement priorities.
HIAS is devastated to see the long-reported priorities of the Trump Administration for refugee resettlement in writing. The administration has slashed refugee admissions to a historic low of 7,500, which is a fraction of the 125,000 authorized in the prior year, and by far the lowest in the history of the program. Nearly all slots appear to be available only to Afrikaners from South Africa, vaulting one single population to the front of the line while deliberately leaving tens of thousands of refugees stranded after they were already vetted and approved to travel.
“In a short period of time, the U.S. has gone from a country that welcomes the most vulnerable refugees to one that excludes them,” said Dr. Beth Oppenheim, HIAS CEO. “We are witnessing the destruction of the refugee program and we are heartbroken for all of the many people who dreamed of finally reaching safety here, and who will not be able to attain it.”
HIAS strongly urges the administration to consider its other category of “victims of illegal or unjust discrimination” with significant flexibility so that it can encompass people for whom resettlement will serve as a lifesaving opportunity, including those who have been persecuted because of their religious beliefs.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is a critical lifesaving program that offers a safe and legal pathway for people who have fled violence and persecution. For over four decades, it has saved hundreds of thousands of lives while simultaneously enriching local communities and economies across the country. Now, even as we see the U.S. government abandoning a commitment to vulnerable refugees, we know that HIAS never will. Today’s release only furthers our resolve to keep advocating for the right of refugees to have access to meaningful protection, safety, and dignity.
“Despite today’s news, we know that America – and Americans- still stand for welcome,” said Oppenheim. “We will never stop fighting for that legacy, which has enabled entire families and communities – including our Jewish community – to write a new chapter of their story here.”
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