More than 40 members of the US Congress have called on the State Department to immediately reinstate the country’s refugee admissions programme, which was suspended and defunded at the start of former President Donald Trump’s second term.
Representative Yassamin Ansari announced the appeal on Monday, saying she led the effort and shared a copy of the lawmakers’ letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media.
“Proud to lead 40+ of my colleagues in calling on Secretary Rubio to reinstate the US Refugee Admissions Programme,” Ansari wrote in a post on X. “People fleeing violence and persecution deserve to be welcomed. This is a promise our nation has made—and one I intend to help fulfil.”
The bipartisan letter described how the abrupt halt to the refugee programme has left tens of thousands of individuals stranded in dangerous conditions abroad. It also noted that many newly arrived refugees in the United States have been deprived of access to vital, life-saving services.
One of the first flights cancelled under the suspension, on the morning of 22 January 2025, included four Afghan child refugees en route to reunite with their parents in Massachusetts. The youngest among them was just seven years old.
The lawmakers argued that the refugee admissions freeze starkly contradicts American values and the nation’s long-standing humanitarian commitments. They criticised the administration’s termination of agreements with resettlement agencies, calling it a deliberate attempt to dismantle the US refugee infrastructure.
According to the letter, as of 15 April 2025, more than 22,000 refugees who have passed all required security and medical screenings remain in limbo, awaiting resettlement in the US.
The lawmakers further warned that recent decisions by the federal government not only undermine the country's reputation for compassion but also carry broad social and economic consequences.
In their appeal, the signatories demanded that the Trump administration immediately reinstate the refugee admissions programme, rebook cancelled refugee flights, resume cooperation with humanitarian and resettlement organisations, and release frozen funds earmarked for refugee services.
