Fresh from a (limited and temporary) Supreme Court victory for its refugee ban, the Trump administration is considering how far it can go in lowering the number of refugees admitted to the country next year. Last year, President Obama set the number for fiscal year 2017 at 110,000. In January, Trump lowered that number to 50,000. Now White House adviser Stephen MIller wants the fiscal year 2018 number to be even lower, at one point arguing for a limit of 15,000. DHS is pushing for 40,000.
Any of these numbers represent historic lows in U.S. refugee admissions, abdicating any claim to leadership in humanitarian response to a worldwide refugee crisis. Before Trump, the lowest limit set since the Refugee Act of 1980 was 67,000, set by Ronald Reagan in 1986. In theory, the president could set the number of refugees admitted in 2018 as low as he wants – down to a single refugee.
White House Weighs Lowering Refugee Quota to Below 50,000 (New York Times, 9/12/17)
“The issue has created an intense debate within the administration, with Mr. Miller and some officials at the Department of Homeland Security citing security concerns and limited resources as grounds for deeply cutting the number of admissions, and officials at the National Security Council, the State Department and the Department of Defense opposing a precipitous drop.”
Trump expected to slash refugee levels to lowest in a generation (Vice News, 9/12/17)
“Multiple sources, including an official in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) with direct knowledge of the situation, say Trump plans to cap refugee admissions for the 2018 fiscal year at no more than 50,000. That limit would be the fewest in modern history, and less than half as many as President Obama authorized last year. The world is currently in the midst of the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, with more than 65 million displaced people fleeing conflict, climate change, and extreme poverty.”
Former Metro Transit cop who questioned rider’s immigration status received a $50,000 settlement (Star Tribune, 9/13/17)
“A former Metro Transit police officer who was caught on video asking a light rail passenger about his immigration status received a $50,000 settlement.
“Officer Andy Lamers, who was working part time, voluntarily resigned nearly two weeks after the May incident.”
Process for U.S. work visas suddenly gets harder (MPR, 9/13/17) USCIS is sending requests for information that seem “inane and irrelevant … aimed at slowing down the process.” Immigration attorney Sandra Feist tells MPR:
“The petitions that I file are several inches thick, and they include detailed documentation and information about the company, or university or agency that is sponsoring,” she said. “And we’re receiving two-page or eight-page requests for additional evidence that make it clear that the government has not read or reviewed anything that we filed and is uniformly sending out these requests regardless of the type of case.”
“Among the piles of paperwork on her desk is an eight-page request that says nothing about her case or her client. The incomplete template says “the evidence you submitted is not sufficient” and goes on to say “(officer must insert the reasons why the evidence listed under this subsection is not sufficient to meet this requirement).”
A Sheriff’s Bind: Cross the White House or the Courts (New York Times, 9/13/17)
“Under political fire for releasing Mr. Martinez after his most recent stint in jail, the sheriff declared that President Trump’s immigration agency was at fault for failing to provide a legal basis for holding him longer, while the White House blamed the sheriff for letting him go.
“Cases like that of Mr. Martinez around the country are inciting outrage, amplified by an administration that is eager to expel undocumented immigrants….
“Sheriffs from across the political spectrum have called on the federal government to settle the issue definitively, which would probably require an overhaul of the country’s immigration laws, an unlikely undertaking in the current political climate. In the meantime, local governments are left with administrative moves by the executive branch that have widely been perceived as cosmetic and ineffectual.”
U.S. to limit visas from four nations that won’t take deportees (AP, 8/24/17) Yes – this news is a couple of weeks old, but I missed it when it happened.
“The Trump administration is poised to impose visa restrictions on four Asian and African nations refusing to take back their citizens who’ve been deported from the United States, officials said Thursday.
“The officials said Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone would soon be subject to sanctions….
“Tillerson isn’t likely to ban all visas, the officials said. Rather, he would target government officials and their families, as the U.S. has done previously. “
Opinion: Undocumented immigrants should not have to risk deportation for talking to police (Sacramento Bee, 9/11/17) Dean of UC Davis School of Law explains importance of California Values Act.
DACA and DREAM Act news
Dinner and DACA – After having dinner with Trump, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement that began:
“We had a very productive meeting at the White House with the President. The discussion focused on DACA. We agreed to enshrine the protection of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.”
Democrats pushing for vote on Dream Act as White House backs off demands to link it to border wall funding (Los Angeles Times, 9/12/17)
“As the minority party, Democrats are trying to build support for a discharge petition, which is a procedural move to force a vote after Sept. 25, if enough Republicans agree.”
Opinion: I’m a ‘dreamer.’ One day, I hope my country calls me an American. (Washington Post, 9/6/17)
“I’m an American. More specifically: I’m a Texan, an entrepreneur and I’m pursuing a PhD in mathematical biology, focusing on better understanding biological data and disease. I hope to someday use math to further develop research that will cure diseases, like cancer, that take lives far too soon. I consider my work a professional calling and a scientific challenge, but also an obligation: to pay back the country that gave me the opportunity to pursue my work in the first place.
“I’m also one of the more than 800,000 “dreamers” whose status was put back in limbo by the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA…”
As DACA Ends, a Harvard DREAMer Wonders and Worries About Future (LatinoUSA/NPR, 9/6/17)
“Espinoza was born in Mexico and moved to Atlanta at the age of six with his parents. His father, a construction worker, wanted him to get a decent education. His younger sister is also a DACA recipient, and his youngest brother, a U.S. citizen.
“In a common barrier for undocumented families, the Espinozas were never able to register for wireless internet or a bank account due to their lack of Social Security numbers. As a teenager, Espinoza would go to his friends’ homes and use their wireless networks or stay at school.”
Immigration news 