Feinstein Statement on Refugee Ceiling

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to set the refugee ceiling at 45,000:

“A refugee admissions ceiling of 45,000 is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the needs of the worldwide humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 22.5 million refugees and 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.

“Countries including Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Lebanon host more than 50 percent of refugees and asylum seekers although they represent less than 2 percent of the world’s economy. In contrast, the six wealthiest countries, which represent more than half the global economy, host less than 9 percent of refugees.

“California accepts more refugees than any other state—9 percent of the U.S. total—and I’ve never been told about a problem. Simply put, our country is not doing its part to respond to this global crisis and there’s no good reason for that to be the case. We’re better than this.”

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