New York, NY – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) strongly opposes President Biden’s decision to maintain the record low refugee admissions cap of 15,000 for the remainder of the 2021 fiscal year.

“The President is falling short of his promise to rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program and restore our nation’s commitment to serving as a refuge for those fleeing violence and persecution. This decision will have devastating consequences at a time when the need could not be greater,” said David Bohm, Chair of JCPA’s Policy Advisory Committee. “We are facing the largest displacement in modern history, with some 79.5 million people forced from their homes. Of those, nearly 30 million are refugees.”

The Jewish people know firsthand the consequences of turning away those fleeing persecution. We urge the Administration to immediately reverse this harmful decision and instead raise the cap to 62,500 for FY21 and set a course for rebuilding this vital program to resettle 125,000 refugees next fiscal year.