The number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. next year has been set to 30,000, announced on September 17 by the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. This number has been significantly reduced, as this past year, it was set to 45,000. This is the lowest the bar has been in years, which is unexpected, considering over 68 million people around the world are trying to find a place to go. Pompeo defends this, speaking of the "blockage of asylum cases" and the immense generosity of the United States. Hearing of this new limit, organizations that help re-settle refugees spoke out instantly. For example, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugees Service protested the administration, as they are putting lives at risk while the organization is willing to take in those people. This limit on refugees counters the administration's commitment to helping those facing religious persecution and seeking safety.
The main reason that this is such a big deal is because America's ideals focus on taking in those who need help. The Statue of Liberty, a famous and honored symbol of our country, even says, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-toss to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" So the question is, why are we denying safety to these people? A majority of it has to do with discrimination against Islam. Trump's has banned immigrants from countries where there are large numbers of Muslims, saying his goal is to end terrorism. Banning a whole group of people based on their culture is highly discriminatory and not helpful. Unfortunately, this has happened in the past. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was approved, banning the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years. This was the first act in American history to place broad restrictions on immigration. Now, over a century later, with the limit lower than it has been in decades, it is vital that Americans are educated about this issue so they can speak up for what they believe is the right choice.
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/17/648986106/u-s-to-limit-the-number-of-refugees-allowed-entry-to-30-000
I agree that this limit on refugees totally goes against American values & not to mention how many more resources America has than the countries neighboring those in turmoil, which harbor so many more. And I also totally think it's because of racism/prejudice against Islam; if there was a Civil War in Norway or some 1st world European country, Trump would say "make room!"
ReplyDeletePretty hypocritical of them to do that when our country's origins came from people who were also escaping their homelands. They're scared of terrorists, but the government during World War 2 didn't kick out germans did they, so they shouldn't have shrank the entry number that low!
ReplyDeleteI think that if our country wants to continue being a symbol for a more progressive society it cannot continue to function out of fear. Our country needs to prioritize staying true to our values and not backing down because of the possible consequences.
ReplyDeleteThat is totally unfair and very degrading towards the immigrants.
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