National, State, and Local Organizations Urge Congress to Demand the Administration Set Robust Refugee Admissions Goal and Restore Humanitarian Protections

Washington, D.C. — Today, 78 national, state, and local organizations representing refugee resettlement agencies, direct service providers, faith-based groups, and human rights advocates released a joint letter to Congress calling for urgent action to restore the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and protect the most at-risk and vulnerable refugees around the globe.

The letter comes in response to troubling signals from the administration ahead of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions, amidst reports of discriminatory resettlement selection practices and significant cuts to refugee admissions with compelling protection needs, such as refugees already referred for U.S. resettlement.

The letter urges Congress to exercise its appropriations and oversight authority and to pressure the administration to:

• Fulfill its legal obligations under the Refugee Act by conducting meaningful consultations with Congress and setting the FY 2026 refugee admissions goal by October 1;
• Set a refugee admissions goal of 125,000 for FY 2026, reflecting both the global scale of need and the more than 120,000 refugees conditionally approved for resettlement;
• Prioritize the most vulnerable, at-risk, and long-waiting refugees, regardless of nationality, race, or religion;
• Defend and expand federal investments in refugee processing, admissions, and resettlement infrastructure by restoring full access to basic healthcare, nutrition assistance, and social services for arriving refugees;

Global displacement is at record highs, and the U.S. must respond. With more than 123 million people displaced worldwide, including over 36 million refugees, the United States has both a moral and strategic imperative to lead. The United Nations estimates at least 2.5 million refugees will need resettlement by FY 2026, yet the U.S. resettlement program remains only partially operating after being ground to a halt by the Trump administration.

USRAP has long enjoyed bipartisan support and benefits from robust community involvement in all 50 states. Refugees contribute economically, socially, and civically, revitalizing communities and boosting local economies. Between 2005 and 2019, refugees contributed $123.8 billion more in revenue than they received in public services.

The letter highlights populations of particular concern in need of urgent resettlement, including Rohingya refugees, Sudanese and Ethiopian refugees, at-risk Afghans, LGBTQI+ individuals, unaccompanied refugee minors, and survivors of religious and political persecution from Venezuela, Ukraine, Burma, and China.

The Trump administration reportedly plans to set the FY26 refugee admissions goal at 40,000-60,000, primarily Afrikaners and at the exclusion of the most at-risk refugees already referred to the U.S., particularly from areas of protracted displacement crises.

“The basic integrity of the U.S. refugee admissions program is under existential threat,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of RCUSA, “This is an utter distortion of the refugee program, which was designed to resettle the most at-risk and vulnerable refugees.”

This is a pivotal moment. The world is watching to see if the United States will once again lead with compassion, or turn its back on those who need us most. Congress must act now to ensure a robust, inclusive, and just refugee admissions program for FY 2026.

Read RCUSA’s previous statement on the FY 2026 refugee admissions goal is available here. 

Read the full organizational letter 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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