US Refugees: Trump's Drastic Reduction of Refugee Admittance - Essay Sample

Introduction

The United States has, for a long period, served as the home for refugees as they sought safety and a new life. However, as Shear and Kanno-Youngs (2019) highlighted, President Donald Trump introduced a cap of 18,000 on the number of refugees to be admitted yearly. This cap is a significant reduction from a high of 110,000 previously held by former President Barrack Obama (Shear & Kanno-Youngs, 2019). This move is set to close the U.S. to refugees whose lives are at risk and in need of help. The decision to reduce the cap was on the basis that there was a need to cater to the increase in people seeking asylum. The administration further claimed that the decision was to ensure the safety of the country by admitting only those who could be thoroughly vetted. However, critics argue that the new policy is part of the larger plan to reduce the number of immigrants. The U.S. should open its borders to more refugees to set an example for other nations on the need to value the lives of people in need of help as well as to continue with the tradition of being empathetic and compassionate to the many refugees in dire need of a new start to escape the dangers of their mother countries.

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The decision to reduce the cap of refugees is ill-advised since they are people who are desperate with their lives in danger, thus the need to step in and protect them. According to Shear and Kanno-Youngs (2019), the majority of refugees are 'fleeing gang violence and persecution.' The restriction of refugees also prevents the reunification of refugees with their family members who are still in danger (Kanno-Youngs, 2020). The limitation of refugees is thus an inhuman and selfish act with no basis as the system has been working efficiently for years without any problems; hence, no need for any alterations. As a result of the decision to limit the number of refugees, families remain separated from other members in danger, thus the need to increase the cap to accommodate more individuals.

The U.S. has room to accommodate a high number of refugees, with the majority of the public eager to welcome them, thus out of place for one individual to make a decision contrary to the public interest. The federal judge who suspended the new refugee policy referred to it as unlawful and against the public interest (Marimow & Sacchetti, 2020). The public believes the U.S. should allow refugees to gain entry to the country. Despite the executive order granted by the president, only one governor took the initiative to bar refugees from their state. Forty-two governors and 100 local governments have expressed their interest in accepting refugees, which shows the massive support they have (Marimow & Sacchetti, 2020). Since the public has accepted refugees to the U.S., the decision to bar their entrance is misplaced, thus the justification to have the policy repealed.

The U.S. should allow more refugees to serve as a role model for other countries while also helping the thousands in need of a new life. Refugees are vulnerable people whose lives are at stake; thus the need to allow them to seek safety in the U.S. Also, the greater percentage of U.S. citizens advocate for the acceptance of refugees; thus, to honor their interests, it is vital to allow more refugees. Politics should not be used as an excuse to deny innocent refugees safety; therefore, it is critical to put their interests first and grant them safe passage.

References

Kanno-Youngs, Z. (2020, Jan 10). Texas Governor Shuts State to Refugees, Using New Power Granted by Trump. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/us/politics/texas-governor-refugees.html

Marrimow, A. E., & Sacchetti (2020, Jan 15). Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration Policy Allowing Local Governments to Block Refugees. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/federal-judge-temporarily-halts-trump-administration-policy-allowing-local-governments-to-block-refugees/2020/01/15/ffd40bee-3317-11ea-9313-6cba89b1b9fb_story.html

Shear, M., & Kanno-Youngs (2019, Sep 26). Trump Slashes Refugee Cap to 18,000, Curtailing U.S. Role as Haven. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/trump-refugees.html