House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte condemned the Trump administration for not consulting Congress before making an announcement regarding the refugee ceiling for fiscal 2019.
In a statement Thursday, the Virginia Republican called on officials to “immediately” get in touch with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
“The law is clear: the administration must consult with Congress prior to the president’s determination of the annual refugee ceiling,” Goodlatte said. “But this did not happen this year, and the Trump administration has no excuse for not complying with their obligation under the law. There is a real question as to whether the president can even set a number of refugees that carries the weight of law unless it is done after an appropriate consultation with Congress.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday afternoon that the administration is reducing the number of refugees that are allowed into the U.S. in fiscal 2019.
The cap for fiscal 2018 was set at 45,000, but only a maximum of 30,000 refugees will be permitted into the country in 2019. Pompeo cited the need for comprehensive background checks, in addition to addressing the 800,000 pending asylum seekers already in the country, as why the cap was necessary.
“In consideration of both U.S. national security interest and the urgent need to restore integrity to our overwhelmed asylum system, the United States will focus on addressing the humanitarian protection cases of those already in the country,” Pompeo said.
“We must continue to responsibly vet applicants to prevent the entry of those who might do harm to our country,” Pompeo added. “Already this year, we have seen evidence that the system previously in place was defective. It allowed a foreign national to slip through who was later discovered to be a member of ISIS, as well as other individuals with criminal backgrounds.”
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Tuesday that the administration would consult with Congress, and that the number of refugees may change as a result.
But Goodlatte said the administration’s actions reflect why the refugee program must be revamped, and pointed to legislation introduced by Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, and himself. The Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act grants Congress the control to determine how many refugees are permitted into the U.S. each year.
“The administration’s lack of consultation underscores once again why this process is fundamentally flawed and why the refugee program is in need of reform,” Goodlatte said. “Congress, not the president, should set the annual refugee ceiling.”
