Biden Administration on Track to Increase Refugee Resettlement This Year but Falls Far Short of Cap

The Biden administration is on track to increase the number of refugees admitted into the United States from about 11,400 last year in FY 2021 to about 19,000 by the end of this fiscal year in September. This is higher than last year, but still far below resettlement numbers in the past 20 years and also far below the refugee cap that the administration set for itself.

Shortly after taking office, President Biden announced an executive order aimed at “Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees”. The use of the term “rebuilding” here is key to how the Biden administration has framed refugee resettlement. The Trump administration reduced the refugee cap to the lowest point in history in FY 2020 by reducing it to just 18,000, which cut federal staffing and cut funding to the national network of resettlement partners. The Biden administration has framed its own low refugee resettlement numbers as a consequence of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the system.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the Trump administration’s legacy is a big factor here, but I wonder how much the administration is using this factor as cover for other internal issues. I really do mean “wonder” because I don’t pay close enough attention to the everyday politics of…