The Trump Administration’s First 100 Days: An Extreme Agenda Threatens Refugees, Immigrants – and Democracy

Washington, DC — As the Trump administration marks its first 100 days in office, Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) joins with the majority of Americans in expressing deep concern over sweeping immigration actions that undermine U.S. legal norms and threaten our most vulnerable communities.

From a full halt on refugee resettlement, ending access to asylum, to efforts to dismantle birthright citizenship, to stripping away protections previously granted by the federal government, to mass deportations, the administration has delivered on its campaign promise of “shock and awe” with devastating human consequences, and no regard for the enormous economic contributions that newcomers bring to the United States.

“The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia offers a chilling example of how the Trump administration’s policies threaten every single American,” said John Slocum, RCUSA Executive Director. “Garcia was mistakenly deported to a notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador without a hearing or any form of due process, and despite his pending asylum case and deep roots in his Maryland community. And then the Trump administration purports to be helpless to secure his release – a claim which strains credulity. Instead, we see the administration doubling down on its destructive discourse of demonizing and scapegoating migrants, and it has gone on to ‘deport’ several U.S. citizen children. 

More and more Americans are beginning to see through this relentless flow of anti-migrant propaganda. They can discern the bad faith and deeply troubling authoritarian impulses that underlie Trump’s immigration policies. Garcia’s removal bypassed all legal safeguards that Americans expect: court review, access to a lawyer, and time to appeal. His case is not an outlier, but a warning. Immigrants have always been the canary in the coal mine. When our government tramples their rights, the erosion of democratic protections for all isn’t far behind.”

The Trump administration’s recent policies include:

• Activation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act—a law not used in peacetime in over two centuries
• A halt on all refugee resettlement, leaving vulnerable families in limbo
• Significantly expanding enforcement activity like detentions, deportations, militarizing the border, and surveillance of our immigrant neighbors en masse with minimal legal oversight
• Ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan and Cameroon (following TPS terminations for countries like Venezuela and Haiti)
• Revoking humanitarian parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) and for individuals who entered U.S. ports of entry through CBPOne
• Revoking U.S. visas for students at American colleges and universities 

Despite the administration’s rhetoric, public opinion remains clear: Americans overwhelmingly support a balanced approach—combining border security with legal pathways to status. Enforcement-only strategies and mass deportation are both deeply unpopular and dangerously destabilizing.

Refugee Council USA urges Congress, the courts, and the public to reject authoritarian overreach and reaffirm our nation’s founding commitments to due process and human dignity.

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. This statement does not necessarily reflect the views of each individual RCUSA member organization.

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