Dear John,

It's been a good week for the future of refugee resettlement and asylum in the United States.

On Thursday, President Biden confirmed that his administration will raise the annual refugee admissions cap this year after consulting with Congress. That cap, which was set at an all-time low of just 15,000 by former president Donald Trump, will then rise to 125,000 when the next fiscal year starts in October. It will be the highest refugee cap in more than two decades.

“President Biden has stated formally and in no uncertain terms that U.S. humanitarian leadership is back,” said Melanie Nezer, HIAS’ senior vice president of public affairs. “Rebuilding the resettlement system the prior administration nearly broke won’t be easy. The refugee resettlement program must bring people to safety, protect national security, and integrate people across the country, all in a contentious political environment and during a global pandemic. Despite these challenges, the president has made clear he intends to get there. We’ll do all we can to help — and to hold the administration accountable.”

Read HIAS’ full statement on the refugee order.

The White House also issued an executive order Thursday evening to strengthen the resettlement program. The administration will undertake a thorough review of the program’s security; designate a senior White House official to coordinate government agencies and resettlement partners; and recognize the urgent need to develop protection options for people forced to migrate because of climate change.

Earlier this week, President Biden signed three executive orders aimed at repairing the damage of some of the Trump-era policies that have been most harmful to immigrants and asylum seekers. Read HIAS' statement about those orders. 

All of us at HIAS are heartened by this week's announcements, and we look forward to working with the Biden administration to repair and improve our refugee and asylum systems.

HIAS is the international Jewish humanitarian organization that provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers in 16 countries. We advocate for the rights of all forcibly displaced people to rebuild their lives and seek to create a world in which they find safety, opportunity, and welcome.