President Biden turned on Monday and said he would allow up to 62,500 refugees to enter the United States over the next six months, removing the sharp limits that former President Donald J. Trump had placed on those seeking refuge before war, violence or nature seek disasters.
“This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000 that does not reflect America’s values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees,” Biden said in a White House statement.
The action came about two weeks after Mr Biden announced he would keep Mr Trump’s line of 15,000 refugees. The announcement was widely condemned by Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill and refugee lawyers who accused the president of failing to keep an election promise to admit the needy.
White House officials had insisted that Mr Biden’s intentions were misunderstood in mid-April. However, his decision to raise the refugee limit to 62,500 suggests that he felt pressure to act.
In his statement, Mr Biden admitted that the government is unlikely to relocate 62,500 refugees as the agencies suffered budget and staff cuts during Mr Trump’s tenure. Mr Biden did not say whether the government had already managed to take in the 15,000 refugees admitted by his predecessor.
“The sad truth is we won’t get 62,500 approvals this year,” he said. “We are working quickly to reverse the damage suffered over the past four years. It will take time, but this work is already under way. “
