Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office released a statement Friday condemning the President Trump administration’s recent plan to cut the number of asylum-seeking refugees allowed to resettle in the United States almost in half.
In the statement, Whitmer outlines her strong opposition to the decision and says that Michigan will remain a welcoming state to refugees.
“Refugees have and continue to enhance our state socially, culturally, and economically,” Whitmer said. “… I am committed to ensuring that we remain a leader in responding to the needs of globally displaced families and individuals.”
On Sept. 26, Trump released his presidential determination on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2020, ordering that the admission ceiling be lowered to 18,000 refugees due to “humanitarian concerns.”
This number is a stark departure from previous years. The current 2019 refugee admissions cap of 30,000 already marks the lowest number in the history of the resettlement program, which began under former President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and has had an average cap of 95,000 from that year up until 2017.
Gov., local communities celebrate ‘Welcoming Week’ for immigrants
The statement from Whitmer also mentions Trump’s concurrent Sept. 26 Executive Order, which would have cities and states have to either provide written consent to allow refugees to settle in their areas or decide to opt out of the program entirely.
“I fully anticipate that our local communities and jurisdictions will continue to support the resettlement and welcoming of refugees as our new neighbors, and stand ready to do all that I can to support these vitally important efforts,” Whitmer said.
