WASHINGTON — The U.S. will slash the number of refugees it will accept for a second straight year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, insisting amid criticism from human rights groups that the country is still committed to providing sanctuary to people fleeing the world’s danger zones. Up to 30,000 refugees will be allowed into the country next year, down from a cap of 45,000 this year. It will be the lowest ceiling on admissions since the program began in 1980. The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this year’s cap of 45,000 was too low. Pompeo sought to head off potential criticism of the reduction by noting that the U.S. would process more than 280,000 asylum claims in addition to more than 800,000 already inside the country who are awaiting a resolution of their claims. “These expansive figures continue the United States’ long-standing record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to … [Read more...] about Trump administration slashes number of refugees to 30,000 for next year
Trump administration
Trump administration disowns Haley’s plan for a U.N. meeting on Iran
John Hudson, The Washington Post Published 4:55 pm PDT, Monday, September 17, 2018 The Trump administration is disowning a plan presented by U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley for President Donald Trump to hold a meeting at the United Nations next week focused on Iran, according to diplomats familiar with the planning. Haley had announced that Trump would chair a meeting on the world's biggest diplomatic stage to "address Iran's violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region." The United States will decide the meeting agenda, a centerpiece of the annual U.N. General Assembly, because it holds the rotating chair of the Security Council for the month of September. It will be Trump's first time brandishing the U.N. gavel at a table of officials representing the world's most powerful nations. Focusing the meeting on Iran, however, drew immediate concerns from U.S. allies who believed that the topic would expose sharp … [Read more...] about Trump administration disowns Haley’s plan for a U.N. meeting on Iran
Trump administration cuts refugee numbers
The Trump administration plans to admit a maximum of only 30,000 refugees in 2019. Although this would be the lowest refugee cap in U.S. history, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when making the announcement at the State Department Monday afternoon, called the new figures "expansive." He added that they should "not be viewed in isolation" because the U.S. is the world's most generous nation when it comes to humanitarian assistance. Pompeo suggested that maintaining that high level of U.S. humanitarian assistance was related to the new cap, which he also said "serves the national security interests" of the US. The Trump administration has long said that it would need to move resources to address the backlog in asylum seekers, and Pompeo referenced this, calling it a "daunting challenge." He said there are over 800,000 asylum cases pending. In 2019 the U.S. plans to process 280,000 asylum seekers. The vetting process for refugees is extensive. It generally takes 18-24 months, and there … [Read more...] about Trump administration cuts refugee numbers
Trump administration to send U.S. cellphones a test alert on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration will send a test message to all U.S. cellphones on Thursday for a new alert system that aims to warn the public about national emergencies. U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a reception for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria The messages will bear the headline “Presidential Alert”, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will send the message, said in a statement earlier this week. Former President Barack Obama signed a law in 2016 requiring FEMA to create a system that lets U.S. presidents send cellphone alerts regarding public safety issues like natural disasters and “terrorism.” The latest announcement about the alert comes amid a flurry of tweets from President Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account in recent days regarding Hurricane Florence. The dozens of tweets forwarded … [Read more...] about Trump administration to send U.S. cellphones a test alert on Thursday
More immigrant kids than ever are in US custody. Trump administration is likely keeping them there
A record number of immigrant children are in US custody, and it's likely because the Trump administration's policies are keeping them there.As of this week, there are 12,800 immigrant children being cared for by the Health and Human Services Department. That's the most ever, an HHS spokeswoman confirmed. In 2016, the monthly average of the number of children in care ranged from just over 4,000 to over 9,000.Butthat figure isn't the one that's raising eyebrows among experts. It's seen as a symptom of a bigger issue.According to an official with knowledge not cleared to speak publicly, the rate of children being released from HHS has plummeted substantially. At the same time, the average length of time children stay in custody is skyrocketing.The cause is likely moves by the Trump administration in its aggressive efforts to tighten immigration. Experts fear the result will transform a system created and designed to help put traumatized children on a path to stability into a way to punish … [Read more...] about More immigrant kids than ever are in US custody. Trump administration is likely keeping them there