The Trump administration, which has proposed a massive 60 percent reduction in refugee admissions from the Obama-era high of 110,000, is expected to cut that number even deeper. according to preliminary estimates.

Experts evaluating the administration’s latest refugee totals now predict a slash of over 77 percent, to 25,000 refugees a year.



Don Barnett, CIS fellow, since 1980 Act taken in average 80,000 refugees a year. Today 95% of refugees are selected by UN, not the US — marguerite telford (@mtelford9397) March 20, 2018



“The national quota was lowered drastically by the Trump administration from 2018. His quota is, like, 45,000. Likely by the end of the year the number will be substantially less than even that,” according to Don Barnett, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and widely published on refugee resettlement and asylum issues.

At a Tuesday conference, he added that Trump could “zero out” refugees, because it is up to the president to set levels.

Based on current refugee statistics, he said that the administration will likely allow in far less than the proposed ceiling of 45,000. “I personally think it will come in at half that. I think it will come in at 25,000 or so,” said Barnett. “It’s not going to come anywhere near 45,000,” he added.

Obama averaged 75,000 refugee admissions every year, he said.

Refugees have become controversial around the nation as more have poured in. State and local communities have balked at the costs, about $3,000 each, and the right they have to welfare and medical help.



The resettlement program isn't working. May be number one voting issue in Minnesota in 2018. — marguerite telford (@mtelford9397) March 20, 2018



In Minnesota, it’s become an election issue. At the Tuesday conference hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, Jeff Johnson, a St. Cloud, Minn., city councilman said local taxpayers are outraged at the number of refugees pouring in.

“This could be the number one issue” in the state and local elections this year, he said.