Opinion piece from Bangor Maine that has some background on where we are today..
'When Clinton’s U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, chaired by civil rights icon Barbara Jordan, delivered its final report, Clinton promised to support the commission’s recommendations. The commission’s core conclusion called for a significant reduction in legal immigration. They recommended eliminating extended family sponsorship (chain migration) and the diversity lottery, and a worksite authorization system targeting employers.'
When the Immigration in the National Interest Act was introduced in 1995 to enact the Jordan Commission reforms, with bipartisan support and Clinton’s endorsement, it was expected to pass. Had it passed, it’s unlikely we would be mired in divisive debates today, with 11 million more illegal immigrants, and Trump in the White House.'
Since taking office, President Trump has consistently kept the refugee ceiling below levels set by his predecessors, and the FY 2021 level is the lowest ever since the refugee admissions program began in 1980. Under former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, the United States resettled an average of about 81,000 refugees each year. President Trump set previous refugee ceilings at 45,000, 30,000, and 18,000 in FY 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.
Despite the nominally low refugee ceiling, the United States continues to act as the global leader in refugee assistance. In 2019, the United States gave over $1.7 billion to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The next highest donor was the entire European Union, who gave just $473 million. So while the U.S. lowers its refugee ceiling, it continues to uphold its enormous funding commitments to guarantee aid and resources for the UNHCR.
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