The Call for a Humane and Strategic Refugee Program in 2026
UPDATE AS OF 10/31/25
The Presidential Determination on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 has been set at 7,500 people, the lowest ceiling in the history of a program that has enjoyed broad bipartisan support for more than four decades. This number is only a fraction of past refugee admission ceilings and was set without consulting with Congress, as required by law. It also fails to meet the urgency of today’s global displacement crisis. At the end of 2024, there was an estimated 123.2 million forcibly displaced people worldwide—families and individuals who have lost their homes and safety due to persecution, conflict, and natural disasters. The United States has been the world leader in receiving refugees, and throughout the past four decades Americans have witnessed refugees fill needed jobs, start businesses, raise families, run for office, and add tremendous value to American society.
We implore the administration to open refugee admissions to people fleeing crises in Sudan, Myanmar, Venezuela, and other nations, including Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghan war allies, who supported our government and troops, are waiting to come here, and our nation owes them the opportunity to do so.
As we respond to this disappointing determination, IINE and many of our peer organizations are navigating the loss of SNAP eligibility for refugees and immigrants with legal statuses under the federal policy changes enacted by the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Instead of further destabilizing vulnerable populations, the United States should seek to build systems that are fair, humane, and representative of the values our nation has held dear since its founding.
Six days into the new federal fiscal year, the administration has not yet consulted with Congress or released the annual Presidential Determination for refugee admissions, a requirement of the Refugee Act of 1980. This delay coincides with reports that the administration is preparing to significantly alter U.S. refugee policy.
We are hearing that the administration intends to cut refugee admissions to 7,500 people—the lowest ceiling in U.S. history, a small fraction of the 120,000 goal set by the UN High Commision for Refugees for the international community, and a mere 6% of our country’s 2025 target of 125,000 refugees. In addition, during remarks delivered at a panel entitled “The Global Refugee and Asylum System: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It,” the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State outlined the administration’s intent to “reframe” refugee status so it becomes “temporary, not permanent,” and that “the understanding is you should go back to your country.”
These proposed changes to federal policy fundamentally misrepresent what it means to be a refugee and fail to advance humane, effective solutions to displacement. Federal law and treaties signed by the U.S. government define refugees as individuals who are unable or unwilling to return to their home countries because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. The U.S. has a rigorous, multi-year vetting process to confirm this status. The goal of resettlement is to help these individuals find a durable solution and rebuild their lives peacefully and without the risk of further displacement.
If we abandon our identity as the world’s leader in refugee resettlement, we will put real lives at risk. When the federal administration suspended the refugee program on January 20th, it left more than a hundred thousand refugees stranded overseas—despite having completed extensive vetting and already being approved for resettlement. Today, many are still waiting in refugee camps in dire conditions, desperate for the chance to rebuild their lives in safety, and in many cases, reunite with family members they have not seen for years.
Through decades of evidence-based practice, refugee resettlement agencies like IINE have effectively partnered with federal and local governments, employers, schools, healthcare providers, and community members. This collaborative effort helps new arrivals integrate and thrive. The initial, modest investments made by public and private partners more than pay off: refugees join the U.S. workforce, contribute to the local, state, and federal tax base, purchase homes, and start businesses at a higher rate that U.S.-born residents. They shape our culture, traditions, and society in countless ways.
Ensuring our nation continues to welcome families and individuals in need of safety is both the smart and the right thing to do. The United States has been a haven for the persecuted since the founding of the nation, and for decades, the U.S. refugee resettlement system has functioned effectively with wide bipartisan support. Welcoming refugees reflects the best of our nation’s core values – equal treatment, non-discrimination, and human dignity – making it as vital to our national identity as it is to the refugees who find a home here.
