This reported pause may be the beginning of a number of attacks against the US refugee admissions program.

It's incumbent upon us to tell the stories of those impacted and stand in support of refugees around the world in need of a safe place to call home.

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The refugee program has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support throughout its decades long history.

And real progress has been made in the last four years to honor that legacy -- rebuilding the program to be the strongest it's been in decades.

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A reminder that those eligible for resettlement are the most vulnerable refugees around the world -- those who remain in danger in their first country of asylum, those with ties to the US through family, those who at risk due to their support for the US mission overseas.

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In fact, refugee resettlement strengthens national security. In his nomination hearing, incoming Sec. of State Marco Rubio said he would support foreign policy that makes America stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

Welcoming the persecuted checks those boxes.

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Which raises another point. The refugee program has perhaps the most intensive vetting process of any other legal pathway. It takes yrs to go from referral to resettlement.

I challenge anyone to provide a security-focused justification for a refugee pause based in reality.

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Refugees who were booked for travel to the US had their flights cancelled. They remained in the pipeline, but even short pauses can have cascading impacts as the window when security and medical checks are valid closes. A 4 month pause could mean a years long delay in a case.

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Those detained at airports were ultimately released after an order from a judge in Brooklyn -- indicative of what might be many twists and turns on refugee policy in the years to come as executive overreach is countered by litigation.

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In January 2017, the suspension came alongside a Muslim ban and a reduction in the annual refugee target.

The order took effect immediately -- and refugees and others who were arriving were detained indefinitely by CBP and trapped at airports. It was chaos.

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We won't know the specifics until we see the executive order itself -- so you won't see too much analysis here until we've had time to review the text.

But we can talk about what happened during the suspension in 2017 -- and what damage it might do to the refugee program.

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It's a small provision within an anomaly request that may or may not be attached to a Continuing Resolution later in December.

But it's one of several opportunities in the lame duck for Congress to act in support of refugees and newcomers -- and the communities working to welcome them.

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But in a time of record arrivals, ORR is facing a significant budgetary shortfall. Experts put it at about $2.9 billion.

Without emergency support, integration programs in communities across the country will be forced to downsize or close down right when they are needed most.

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These resources pay for themselves. According to a 2024 HHS report, refuges + asylees had a net fiscal benefit of $124 billion over fifteen years when taking into account the cost of ORR programming.

All boats rise in communities where newcomers are welcomed and allowed to thrive.

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Even if Trump cuts off pathways for all of these newcomers (easier said than done), almost 2 million refugees and newcomers eligible for ORR support are already here.

ORR funding helps these new arrivals get on their feet and, in some cases, access more stable status.

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These programs aren't just for refugees. Cuban + Haitian entrants, asylees, Afghan SIVs + parolees, Uniting 4 Ukraine arrivals, unaccompanied children, and others are all also eligible.

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ORR resources go directly to state and local communities welcoming newcomers. They fund employment programs, language classes, school integration, and -- in some increasingly important cases -- legal assistance.

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At the bottom of the request is approx. $1.6 billion in emergency funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Let me say a bit about why this money is so important:

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