National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Ekpenyong Emmanuel
President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping crackdown on migration, halting arrivals of refugees cleared to enter the United States.
This move is part of Trump’s efforts to prioritize America’s interests and secure its borders.
According to a State Department memo, “all previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being canceled” .
Trump’s executive order, signed on Monday, suspends refugee admissions as of January 27 and orders a report on how to change the program.
The order also revokes former President Joe Biden’s decision to consider the impact of climate change in refugee admissions.
New Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the State Department will “no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration” .
This move has sparked alarm among Democrats, with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying that acceptance of refugees is “a core American value.”
Shaheen emphasized that the US Refugee Admissions Program has a long history of bipartisan support and is a life-saving tool for vulnerable refugees .
The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has also led to the cancellation of refugee travel and the suspension of processing on cases.
However, refugees already resettled in the United States will continue to receive services as planned.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar have been among the top sources of refugees in recent years, with over 100,000 refugees resettling in the United States in the 2024 fiscal year.
As the Trump administration continues to shape its immigration policy, it remains to be seen how this will impact the lives of refugees and the future of the US Refugee Admissions Program.
