Biden defends original decision to maintain Trump-era refugee limits despite reversal

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By Brian Brant

(WASHINGTON) President Joe Biden defended his original decision not to immediately lift former President Donald Trump's administration's historically low refugee limit, according to Axios.

Although Biden said on Saturday that his administration will increase the number of refugees after originally planning to keep the refugee limits to those set by the previous administration, he said the "problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people."

Democrats scrutinized the administration's decision on Friday to keep the Trump’s historically low refugee admission rate of 15,000 people per year after proposing in February to raise the rate to 62,500 and promising during his campaign to raise the rate to 125,000.

This is a testament to the power that people’s movements, community advocates, & progressive coalitions have built.

Thankful for that and the Biden admin’s decision to respond to organizers today.

Now let’s get these families to their new homes here in the United States. 💜 https://t.co/uPpzVMpUS8

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 17, 2021

"We couldn't do two things at once," he added. "But now we are going to increase the number."

Biden's executive order which also sped up the processing of refugees in 2021, argued the Trump refugee rate was "justified by humanitarian concerns and is otherwise in the national interest."