Number of refugees admitted to US plummets after Trump lifts ban: report

The number of refugees entering the United States has dropped significantly in the five weeks since President Trump lifted a temporary ban, according to an analysis by Reuters.

Forty percent fewer refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since the ban was lifted, compared to the previous five weeks of the ban being in place, the news outlet found.

Trump removed a ban on most refugee admissions in late October, but implemented tougher rules for vetting applicants and effectively halted refugee admissions from 11 countries, nine of which have a majority-Muslim population.

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The stricter measures come from Trump’s long-standing pledge to crack down on immigration and protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks by radical Islamists through “extreme vetting.”

Under Trump’s new vetting measures and rules, the kinds of refugees entering the country have also changed, Reuters reported.

The number of Muslims allowed to enter the U.S. has gone from a quarter of all refugees to under 10 percent, according to State Department data.

The Supreme Court has placed restrictions on the scope of Trump’s travel ban on certain countries, which marks the president’s third attempt at implementing broad bans in order to prevent attacks.