As Trump seeks systemic change, does the US have an obligation to refugees?

However, the US refugee system may not be restored by a legal victory.

Ramji-Nogales of Temple University claimed that the Trump administration has a number of other ways that the program could become nearly ineffective, even if legal challenges are raised.

She said, “If they can’t stop it completely, they can really lower the numbers and seriously harm the program’s ability to continue,” she said.

A maximum number of refugees who can enter the US can be determined through an annual process under the 1980 law.

Refugee admissions have increased by 65% annually on average since 1990. However, there is no set maximum refugee count that can be permitted under the 1980 Refugee Act.

With a maximum admissions cap of more than 230 000, the late President Jimmy Carter established the highest standard.

Trump, in contrast, set a historic low for admissions for the fiscal year 2020 at 18, 000. He suggested a smaller figure of 15, 000 for 2021, the year his first term was over.

According to Opila, an attorney for the American Immigration Council, it is unclear how far Trump can legally cut back on the program while serving in office.

According to Opila, “there isn’t a lot of case law about the kind of boundaries” the president might encounter.

White Afrikaners from South Africa have been the first group the Trump administration has indicated it will prioritize in terms of refugee admissions.

Trump stated in an executive order from February that the US “shall support the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees fleeing government-sponsored racial discrimination, including racial property confiscation.”

However, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has refuted Trump’s claims that he discriminates against people of color.

According to Ramji-Nogales, it is unclear what will happen with all of these changes.

She noted that the refugee program has historically had bipartisan support because it intersected with efforts to promote US “soft power” abroad and with religious beliefs.

That was accurate, she claimed, even as the public’s opinion of refugees declined over time.

Trump’s own Republican Party has fared poorly in his second term, though.

According to Ramji-Nogales, “what happens next depends on what happens during the midterm elections and what happens after the next presidential election.”

Source: Aljazeera