Washington (CNN) The Trump administration told Congress it intends to dramatically cut the number of refugees it will admit in the next fiscal year, only up to 18,000 refugees, according to the State Department -- marking a historic low and threatening to further erode the nation's refugee resettlement program.

Under President Donald Trump, the administration has slowly chipped away at the refugee cap, which dictates how many refugees may be admitted to the United States. The ceiling for fiscal year 2019 stands at 30,000, which, at the time, was the lowest level since 1980.

The State Department announced the proposed refugee ceiling as part of a larger number of combined refugee and asylum claims expected for the next fiscal year.

In a call with reporters, senior administration officials said the report submitted to Congress allocates admissions by "group of special humanitarian interests to the United States," instead of by region -- including Iraqis who assisted the United States, those who have suffered or feared religious persecution, and nationals of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The White House also released an executive order Thursday that requires state and local governments to consent to receiving refugees, with some exceptions. Refugee resettlement agencies are charged with placing refugees around the country, but the new executive order could allow states and local jurisdictions to deny refugees entry.

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