After Mr. Trump declared his candidacy for the 2024 election, a conservative policy blueprint called Project 2025 suggested that he would cite the record number of migrant crossings at the southern border during the Biden administration as a justification for halting refugee resettlement.
The suspension of refugee admissions was one of a blizzard of executive orders signed by Mr. Trump within hours of his swearing-in on Monday. Other orders cracked down on illegal immigration and ended the U.S. program that allowed migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to enter the United States for up to two years if they had a financial sponsor and passed security checks.
The refugee order states, “Over the last four years, the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Cities and small towns alike, from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Ohio, to Whitewater, Wisconsin, have seen significant influxes of migrants. Even major urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, and Denver have sought federal aid to manage the burden of new arrivals.”
But Mr. VanDiver said surveys had shown strong support among the American public for the continued relocation and resettlement of Afghan allies.
