Pressure builds on Biden administration to lift refugee cap after months-long delay
In his first days in office, President Joe Biden proposed expanding the number of refugees who could be admitted to the United States after years of historic lows, but more than two months later that increase remains unsigned despite Biden’s pledge, perplexing even officials within his own administration and frustrating allies on Capitol Hill.
“It’s a mystery as to why it hasn’t been signed,” an administration official told CNN.
In February, the administration proposed raising the year’s refugee cap — which dictates how many refugees can be admitted to the US — to 62,500, a significant increase from former President Donald Trump’s 15,000. Shortly afterward, the relevant department secretaries, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, briefed lawmakers on the plan — a necessary step in the process.