As Government Shutdown Ends, RCUSA Calls for Swift Congressional Consultations with the White House on FY 2026 Refugee Admissions

Washington, D.C. — Last night marked the end of a record-breaking federal government shutdown. Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) renews its urgent call to the administration to immediately conduct congressional consultations, as required by U.S. law, about the Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2026.

Alongside our members, partners, refugee leaders, and Members of Congress, RCUSA previously condemned the administration’s PD, published in the Federal Register on October 31st, for violating statutory obligations to consult with Congress before its issuance while setting the refugee admissions goal at a devastatingly low 7,500 – the lowest ever set in the 45-year history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

The Trump administration repeatedly indicated it would hold the statutorily-mandated Congressional consultations on the PD – and resume refugee admissions – once the federal government reopened. RCUSA urges the White House to schedule those consultations immediately and calls on Members of Congress to hold the administration accountable to push for resettlement of the most at-risk refugees from around the world.

The Trump administration repeatedly made clear it will continue to prioritize Afrikaner resettlement, over and above Syrian and Sudanese families fleeing brutal regimes and war zones, Congolese and Eritrean survivors of rape and ethnic violence, and Afghan allies promised safety after risking their lives alongside U.S. forces,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA. “The world is facing the largest displacement crisis in recorded history with more than 123 million people forcibly displaced. Members of Congress should question the White House’s paltry and skewed refugee admissions plan, the administration’s ongoing suspension of the U.S. resettlement program, and priority populations of political interest. With reports indicating the United States would consider resettling supporters of far-right political parties like Alternative for Germany, at the expense of the most at-risk refugees, this administration’s distortion of the program is dangerous, discriminatory, and shameful. We urge Congress to do everything in its power – during and after congressional consultations – to call out the administration’s violations of legal requirements and its fundamental distortion of the U.S. resettlement program’s mission.

RCUSA urges national, state, and local leaders to take a stand and pressure the Trump administration to fully restore the U.S. resettlement program, increase the admissions goal to 125,000, and resettle the most at-risk populations. We also call on Congress to maintain critical investments in refugee processing, admissions, and resettlement services like healthcare, nutrition assistance, and education so newly arriving families can rebuild their lives. 

RCUSA’s earlier statements on the President’s defiance of U.S. law and our moral obligations are available here, here and here.

Take action today by urging Congressional, State, and local elected leaders to defend refugees and the U.S. Resettlement Program here.

Media Contact: Mariam Sayeed, msayeed@rcusa.org

RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.

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