US eyes ‘aspirational’ refugee resettlement goal

The Biden administration says it is working to rebuild the refugee resettlement system, which was gutted under Trump.

Washington, DC – Making good on a campaign promise, President Joe Biden last week formally announced that the United States would allow up to 125,000 refugees into the country this fiscal year – doubling last year’s limit.

But whether the US will be able to meet this new raised cap is uncertain, resettlement agencies say, amid persistent backlogs, reduced capacity and restrictions on refugee eligibility imposed by the previous Trump administration.

“It will be a real challenge to reach 125,000,” said Melanie Nezer, senior vice president for public affairs for HIAS, one of nine refugee resettlement agencies in the US.