Refugees who were planning to come to the US, who had flights lined up to gain entry, have seen those flights canceled as President Donald Trump remakes immigration policy in keeping with his campaign promises.
A State Department memo to resettlement partners obtained by CNN stated, “All previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and no new travel bookings will be made. RSCs should not request travel for any additional refugee cases at this time.” A source familiar with the data told the outlet that around 10,000 refugees had their flights canceled.
The memo added, “Additionally, all refugee case processing and pre-departure activities are also suspended. RSCs and IOM should not move refugees to transit centers in anticipation of travel and should halt all pre-departure activities for refugee cases. No new referrals should be made into the USRAP.”
Those with Special Immigrant Visas, which includes those who worked for the US abroad, are exempt from the cancelations and can travel to the US. Refugees already within the US will continue to receive services.
The “Realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program” executive order signed by Trump on Monday stated that over the past four years under the Biden administration, “the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Cities and small towns alike, from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Ohio, to Whitewater, Wisconsin, have seen significant influxes of migrants. Even major urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, and Denver have sought Federal aid to manage the burden of new arrivals.”
It later added, “The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”