President Trump is already fulfilling his campaign promise to slash the number of refugees coming into the United States and the doors are expected to be shut by the end of April when his cap of 50,000 is met.
According to federal statistics from the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center and refugee support groups, the U.S. has let in 37,323 so far, for an average of about 7,400 a month.
And no matter what the White House does in revising its travel and refugee suspension targeting six mostly Muslim nations Monday, the 50,000 cap that was not killed by federal courts will be reached soon, in effect giving the president what he initially sought in barring refugees from those nations for 120-days.
In fact, the ban would be longer than 120 days since the doors won’t open until the beginning of the next fiscal year, October 1.
Former President Obama had set the refugee cap at 110,000. Trump’s revised immigration executive order is expected to keep the cap at 50,000.
Some refugee support groups have been told that booking travel to the United States for refugees will be delayed after March 15.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
