DateIssued:January20,2025
Topic:Immigration
ThisorderassertstheTrumpAdministration’sstancethatincreased migrationisharmfultotheUnitedStates,asitstrainsresourcesfor Americancitizensandthreatenstheirsafetyandsecurity.
TheorderpausestheU.S.RefugeeAdmissionsProgram(USRAP),a programforimmigrantswhofearedorweresubjecttopersecutionin theirhomecountriestolegallyresettleintheUnitedStates.
TheprogramwasmanagedbytheDepartmentofState(State),the DepartmentofHomelandSecurity(DHS),andtheDepartmentofHealth andHumanServices(HHS).Theseagenciesaretaskedwithadvisingthe Presidentonwhethertoresumetheprogramevery90days.
HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?
ThisordersuspendstheU.S.RefugeeAdmissionsProgramandcompels theSecretaryofHomelandSecuritytopausedesignationsofrefugee statusforatleast90days.
Theordermandatesthatnoimmigrantswillbegrantedrefugeestatus duringthesuspensionunlessboththeSecretaryofStateandthe SecretaryofHomelandSecurityapprovetheadmissiononacase-bycasebasis.
ThisorderalsorescindsanexecutiveorderfromformerPresidentJoe BidenthatexpandedtheUSRAPtoincludewomen,children,and“other individualswhoareatriskofpersecutionrelatedtotheirgender,gender expression,orsexualorientation.”
TheSecretariesofHHS,DHS,andState,aswellastheAttorneyGeneral,all havearoleinenforcingthisexecutiveorder.TheSecretariesofDHSand Statearerequiredtosubmitareportevery90dayswiththeirassessment oftheUSRAPandopiniononresumingtheprogram.TheSecretariesof HHS,DHS,andStateandtheAttorneyGeneralareevaluatingthelegal precedentforstateandlocalgovernmentstoselectwhichrefugeesare allowedtomovetotheirjurisdictions.
HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?
In2019,PewResearchCenterreportedthatone-in-fiveBlackAmericans wereimmigrantsorthechildrenofimmigrants.Thisordercouldhave catastrophicconsequencesforBlackcommunitiesandisevenmore dangerousconsideringtheTrumpAdministration’sotherimmigration policies.
TheTrumpAdministrationhaslaunchedmassiveraidsacrosstheUnited States,and,asofFebruary2025,theyhaddeported37,000immigrants. TheexecutiveordermandatesthatDHSstopprocessingrefugee applications,meaningtherearethousandsofimmigrantswhonolonger haveapathtolegalcitizenship.
Blackimmigrantsrepresentmorethan20%ofimmigrantsfacing incarcerationanddeportationbutonlycomprise5%ofthe undocumentedpopulationintheUnitedStates.Thisexecutiveorderputs thousandsofBlackimmigrantswhofledcountriesfacinghumanitarian crisesatriskofdeportation.
HOWARECBCMEMBERSRESPONDING?
TheCongressionalBlackCaucus(CBC)hasadvocatedforfairandinclusive immigrationreformfordecades.TheCBChasspokenoutagainst immigrationpoliciesfrombothpartiesthatdidnotmatchtheirvalues.They didsomostrecentlyinJuneof2024,whenformerPresidentJoeBidenissued anexecutiveordertoinstituteacapof2,500immigrantswhocanenterthe UnitedStatesperday.
Rep.YvetteD.Clarke,CBCChairandformerCo-ChairoftheCBC’s ForeignAffairs&ImmigrationTaskForce:“PresidentBiden’sexecutive actiontoclosedailybordercrossingsarbitrarilyat2,500willprevent countlessBlackimmigrantsfromtheCaribbean,theAfricancontinent, andLatinAmericafromexercisingtheirlegalrighttoapplyforasylumat ourportsofentry.Weshouldmovetowardamorenuancedapproach thatconsiderstherealhumanitarianissuesthatmigrantsarefacing eachday.”FullStatement
