Democrats, advocates blast reported White House plan to cut refugee cap to zero

Democratic presidential contenders and others spoke out against reports during the weekend that the Trump administration will seek to cut refugee admissions to zero next year.

While administration officials have not yet developed a formal recommendation, the administration previously set the refugee cap at 30,000, a significant decrease from the one established under President Obama.

{mosads}Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a 2020 Democratic presidential contender, called the proposal “immoral” in a tweet Friday.

This is immoral. Our laws and values compel us to help those fleeing violence and oppression. As president, I’ll welcome at least 175,000 refugees per year by the end of my first term. https://t.co/eoUITSjQfs

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 6, 2019

“Our laws and values compel us to help those fleeing violence and oppression. As president, I’ll welcome at least 175,000 refugees per year by the end of my first term,” Warren added.

“Zeroing out refugees means no more Christians, Jews, or Muslims could flee persecution,” tweeted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), criticizing his adviser Stephen Miller. “@realDonaldTrump and Stephen Miller are doing unspeakable harm to the very core of our nation.”

Zeroing out refugees means no more Christians, Jews, or Muslims could flee persecution.@realDonaldTrump and Stephen Miller are doing unspeakable harm to the very core of our nation.https://t.co/cvkWHRibiU

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 6, 2019

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), another 2020 presidential candidate, also took aim at the report, tweeting “Refugees come here legally and in my state the Hmong (who came here after the Vietnam War after fleeing their homeland) & Somali refugees are a major part of our workforce. This is a bad idea for so many reasons.”

Refugees come here legally and in my state the Hmong (who came here after the Vietnam War after fleeing their homeland) & Somali refugees are a major part of our workforce. This is a bad idea for so many reasons . https://t.co/q6Cc22MB0o

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) September 7, 2019

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), a former 2020 candidate, tweeted “America is meant to be a place of refuge and a beacon of hope for those who face persecution around the world. In Washington state, we know that refugees make our communities stronger.”

America is meant to be a place of refuge and a beacon of hope for those who face persecution around the world.

In Washington state, we know that refugees make our communities stronger. https://t.co/ssQ4YgmYuR

— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) September 7, 2019

GQ correspondent Julia Ioffe, a refugee from the former Soviet Union, said the proposal “breaks my heart” and added that unlike those who would be most disadvantaged by the proposal, “there was political will in Washington to help us.”

I came here as a refugee. This breaks my heart. https://t.co/9GhqkdaCAt

— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) September 6, 2019

Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, tweeted that the move would be “a travesty to walk away from a global duty of care, and a long held American value to care for refugees.”

BREAKING: @realdonaldtrump administration proposes cutting all refugee admissions to the US.

This would be a travesty to walk away from a global duty of care, and a long held American value to care for refugees. https://t.co/9hCkMo2whn

— Sarah Leah Whitson (@sarahleah1) September 6, 2019