Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States will decrease the number of refugees admitted to the country from 45,000 to a historic low of 30,000 in 2019 during a press conference on Monday.

“[The cap] must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States,” Pompeo said.

Anticipating pushback from the press, Pompeo added, “Some will characterize the refugee ceiling as the sole barometer of America’s commitment to vulnerable people around the world. This would be wrong.”

The 33% cut in admitted refugees follows a pattern the Trump administration has been pursuing since the beginning days of the presidency. When President Trump took office, the United States was taking in 110,000 refugees per year, which was then slashed to 45,000.

“The improved refugee policy of this administration serves the national interest of the United States,” Pompeo said. “We are and continue to be the most generous nation in the world.”

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