President Trump on Monday signed an executive order suspending refugee resettlement in the United States, picking up where he left off in his first term with his efforts to kill a program that offers safe harbor to people around the world facing threats and persecution.
He has long railed against refugees, claiming that the program floods the country with undesirable people and allows terrorists and other dangerous people into the United States.
“The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees,” the executive order reads.
During his first term, Mr. Trump broke down the U.S. refugee apparatus, decimating a system that had bipartisan support and had been largely untouched for years as he slashed the number of refugees admitted to the country.
Here is what to know about the refugee program, and how Mr. Trump is changing it.
Trump has ordered a suspension of refugee admissions.
Mr. Trump’s order suspends refugee resettlement as of next Monday. The order directs top leaders in the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to issue a report to him every 90 days thereafter to allow him to assess whether the refugee program “would be in the interests of the United States,” according to the order.
Refugees are already the most vetted people admitted to the U.S.
Foreign nationals seeking to resettle as refugees in the United States face a rigorous and extensive screening process that often lasts for years, which includes security and medical vetting; scrutiny of their families and those with whom they have associated; and interviews with American officials overseas.