CFIS: Refugee admissions down 70% under Donald Trump

According to the Center for Immigration Studies, Refugee admissions are down 70% under Donald Trump.

CFIS:

As 2017 is coming to an end, let’s take a quick look at refugee admissions under President Trump from the time he took office on January 20, 2017, through December 20, 2017 (a total of 11 months). For comparison, let’s also check admissions under President Obama for the same period in 2016.

State Department data shows that the numbers fell dramatically (by 70 percent) under President Trump. Refugees admitted in the first 11 months of the Trump administration were mostly Christian (53.2 percent), while Muslims accounted for 32 percent and Buddhists and Hindus accounted for 9.2 percent. For the same period in 2016 under Obama, the refugees admitted were plurality Muslim (45 percent), while Christians accounted for 44.2 percent and Buddhists and Hindus accounted for 5.4 percent.

The top five countries of origin were:

• Trump: Congo, Burma, Bhutan, Ukraine, and Somalia;
• Obama: Congo, Syria, Burma, Iraq, and Somalia.

Admissions Ceilings. President Obama’s FY 2016 refugee admission ceiling was 85,000. His 110,000 ceiling for FY 2017 was adjusted by President Trump to 50,000. The FY 2018 ceiling was set at 45,000 by President Trump (the lowest refugee ceiling since 1980).

During his campaign, Donald Trump promised to curtail refugee admissions and the statistics certainly are backing this up. Here is a comparison between the Trump and Obama administration on who they let in.

Trump Administration:

Refugee Admissions Under the Trump Administration from January 20, 2017, to December 20, 2017 (11 months)

• Total admissions: 28,875
• Christians: 15,376 (53.2 percent)
• Muslims: 9,235 (32 percent)
• Buddhists: 1,551(5.4 percent)
• Hindus: 1,112 (3.8 percent)

Top Nationalities

1. Dem. Rep. Congo: 5,108 — Mostly Christians: 4,907 (Muslims: 178)
2. Burma: 3,516 — Mostly Christians: 1,985 (Muslims: 991; Buddhists: 473)
3. Bhutan: 3,425 — Hindu: 1,081; Buddhists: 1,055; Christians: 688; Muslims: 2; Kirat: 597
4. Ukraine: 2,853 — Mostly Christians: 2,750 (Muslims: 0)
5. Somalia: 2,451— Mostly Muslims: 2,441 (Christians: 9)
6. Iraq: 2,341 — Mostly Muslims: 1,653 (Christians: 472)
7. Syria: 2,002 — Mostly Muslims: 1,954 (Christians: 39)
8. Eritrea: 1,704 — Mostly Christians: 1,356 (Muslims: 348)
9. Iran: 1,124 — Mostly Christians: 740 (Muslims: 60)
10. Afghanistan: 607 — Mostly Muslims: 597 (Christians: 5)
11. Sudan: 594 — Mostly Muslims: 444 (Christians: 154)

Obama Adminstration:

Refugee Admissions Under the Obama Administration from January 20, 2016, to December 20, 2016 (11 months)

• Total admissions: 93,668
• Muslims: 42,175 (45 percent)
• Christians: 41,389 (44.2 percent)
• Buddhists: 2,990 (3.2 percent)
• Hindus: 2,041 (2.2 percent)

Top Nationalities

1. Dem. Rep. Congo: 19,511 — Mostly Christians: 18,706 (Muslims: 689)
2. Syria: 15,076 — Mostly Muslims: 14,903 (Christians: 121)
3. Burma: 11,051 — Mostly Christians: 6,738 (Muslims: 2,855; Buddhists: 1,287)
4. Iraq: 10,599 — Mostly Muslims: 8,069 (Christians: 1,812)
5. Somalia: 10,463 — Mostly Muslims: 10,455 (Christians: 7)
6. Bhutan: 5,869 — Hindus: 1,953; Buddhists: 1,660; Christians: 1,285
7. Iran: 3,944 — Mostly Christians: 2,158 (Muslims: 393)
8. Ukraine: 3,470 — Mostly Christians: 3,415
9. Afghanistan: 2,802 — Mostly Muslims: 2724 (Christians: 67)
10. Eritrea: 1,929 — Mostly Christians: 1,558 (Muslims: 369)
11. Sudan: 1,466 — Mostly Muslims: 1,086 (Christians: 380)

In fact Obama’s last 3 months in office saw more refugees enter the United States than Trump’s first 11 months.

Refugee Admissions Under the Obama Administration, First Three Months of FY 2017 (October 1, 2016, through January 19, 2017)

• Total Admissions: 30,017
• Muslims: 14,325 (47.7 percent)
• Christians: 12,973 (43.3 percent)
• Buddhists: 748 (2.5 percent)
• Hindus: 518 (1.7 percent)

Top Nationalities

1. Dem. Rep. Congo: 5,421 — Mostly Christians: 5,159 (Muslims: 229)
2. Iraq: 4,622 — Mostly Muslims: 3,431 (Christians: 909)
3. Syria: 4,588 — Mostly Muslims: 4,481 (Christians: 85)
4. Somalia: 3,806 — Mostly Muslims: 3,804 (Christians: 1)
5. Burma: 2,203 — Mostly Christians: 1,340 (Muslims: 567, Buddhists: 276, Hindu 3)
6. Ukraine: 1,898 — Mostly Christians: 1,877, Muslims: 0
7. Bhutan: 1,581 — Hindus: 498, Buddhists: 470, Christians: 298, Muslims: 0
8. Iran: 1,482 — Mostly Christians: 815 (Muslims: 116)
9. Afghanistan: 764 — Mostly Muslims: 735 (Christians: 29)
10. Eritrea: 618 — Mostly Christians: 479 (Muslims: 139)
11. Sudan: 417 — Mostly Muslims: 315 (Christians: 102)

This is very good Donald Trump. We have seen what uncontrolled migration by refugees has done to Europe and it isn’t pretty. Until we can find a way to properly vet them then allowing Zero refugees to enter is likely the best policy. Trump’s Cheif of Staff agreed with me on this idea.

BOOM!: John Kelly said the United States should admit between Zero and One refugees per year

The left is likely going to look at the fact that Trump took in a much smaller percentage of Muslims and a much larger percentage of Christians and see look he hates Muslims. This is wrong for a few reasons. The first thing I’ll point out is that he brought in a higher percentage of Buddhists and Hindus. What this means is that he isn’t only trying to save the Christians refugees. The second thing to point out is one simple question. The goal of this ban is to stop Terrorists from entering the US. To stop the spread of ISIS into our country. How many Christians are in ISIS? That answer is a strong Zero. Because of this simple question and answer, it makes sense that you would restrict this class of people from entering the country through the refugee program until you feel you can properly vet them.