Refugee admissions fell sharply during the Trump administration but now are rising again
The number of persons who may be admitted to the U.S. each year as refugees is set by the president in consultation with Congress. Refugees are people who are unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin or nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.
Line chart showing refugee ceilings averaging around 80,000 per year from roughly 1995-2015, then falling below 20,000 between 2016 and 2020 before rebounding to 125,000 starting in 2021.Admissions track the ceiling closely in most years.
