U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has announced plans to allow only 15,000 refugees to resettle in the country in the 2021 fiscal year that began on Thursday, setting another record low in the history of the modern refugee program.
The refugee cap was cut to 18,000 in the 2020 fiscal year that ended on Wednesday, but only 11,814 refugees were resettled, according to the latest government figures, as increased vetting and the coronavirus pandemic slowed arrivals.
The 2021 plan lays out specific allocations, including 5,000 slots for refugees who suffered or fear persecution on the basis of religion; 4,000 for refugees from Iraq who helped the U.S.; and 1,000 for refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. That leaves 5,000 for all others.
