(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)Claiming that President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are stoked with “fear-mongering and xenophobia,” Joe Biden has promised to raise the annual number of refugees admitted into the United States. The number he’s pledged, however, isn’t sitting well with some — and for good reason. Don’t miss this.
After being declared victor of the 2020 presidential election by the mainstream media, Joe Biden has begun voicing his plans for our great nation. One promise that’s raising eyebrows is his pledge to vastly increase the number of annual refugees admitted into the United States. Currently, under Trump’s administration, the maximum number of refugees permitted entry into the US per year is 15,000. That would greatly change, however, under Biden’s control.
In a prerecorded video set to air during a virtual celebration of the 40th anniversary of Jesuit Refugee Service, Biden made a declaration, pledging to dramatically raise the number from 15,000 to a staggering 125,000, The Blaze reported. For those who haven’t yet done the math, that’s over an 830% increase.
“The United States has long stood as a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and the oppressed, a leader of resettling refugees in our humanitarian response,” Biden said, according to the Religion News Service. “I promise, as president, I will reclaim that proud legacy for our country,” he continued. “The Biden-Harris administration will restore America’s historic role in protecting the vulnerable and defending the rights of refugees everywhere and raising our annual refugee admission target to 125,000.”
In the video, Biden also praised Jesuit Refugee Service as a “great organization” and framed the country’s historic commitment to refugee resettlement in theological terms. “This organization was founded to serve the needs of some of the most vulnerable among us: refugees and displaced people,” he said. “JRS believes that, in the stranger, we actually meet our neighbor and that every society is ultimately judged by how we treat those most in need.”
This isn’t the first time Biden has been outspoken about America’s refugee and immigration policy. In June, he released a statement on World Refugee Day, saying, “Fear-mongering, xenophobia, and racism are the unabashed tenets of Trump’s refugee and immigration policy.” He also said he recognized “that it is not enough to simply reverse or dismantle the heartless policies of the Trump Administration,” adding, “We need to look for ways to do better.”
Hinting that he could raise the number of refugees permitted per year, Biden said, “As President, I will increase the number of refugees we welcome into this country, setting an annual global refugee target of 125,000 and will seek to further raise it over time commensurate with our responsibility, our values, and the unprecedented global need.”
Biden has also promised that he “will repeal the Muslim ban — and other discriminatory bans based on ethnicity and nationality — and restore asylum laws, including ending the horrific practice of separating families at our border.”
This, of course, flies in the face of a memo released by President Trump in October that read, “The admission of up to 15,000 refugees to the United States during FY 2021 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”
During the final year of the Obama administration, President Barack Obama said 110,000 refugees should be allowed into the United States, according to the New York Times. This became a concern for many Americans for multiple reasons. Not only was this happening in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, according to the Washington Post, but it also raised economic and immigration concerns.
There is a backlog of almost one million cases in the immigration courts in the United States, many of which are asylum seekers. On a conference call with reporters, senior administration officials argued that the administration’s resources are better spent processing those cases than bringing more refugees into the United States.
“The current burdens on the U.S. immigration system must be alleviated before it is again possible to resettle large number of refugees,” the State Department said in a news release. “Prioritizing the humanitarian protection cases of those already in our country is simply a matter of fairness and common sense.” [Source: NYT]
In addition to the burdens this places on our immigration system, a study released earlier this year by the Center for Immigration Studies claimed that refugees cost American taxpayers as much as $133,000 over the course of their lives, according to The Blaze — more than illegal immigrants.
According to the CIS, refugee costs are increasing due to an influx of refugees who are poorly educated and will, therefore, require more government assistance over the course of their life. “The low education attainment level of so many of today’s refugees means they need a great deal of government assistance. Given these costs, policymakers have to decide if it makes more sense to settle a modest number here or help many more people overseas,” explained Steven Camarota, co-author of the report and research director for CIS, the Washington Examiner reported.
The report’s findings came at a time when President Donald Trump was continuing to slash annual refugee admittance. Sadly, Biden is about to undo that dramatically. While a desire to help others in need is commendable, it must be done responsibly. Given the costs, policymakers have to decide if it makes more sense to settle a modest number here or help many more people overseas, as Camarota pointed out.
The authors of The Fiscal Impact of Refugee Resettlement: No Free Lunch for Taxpayers said it best: “In reality, the fiscal impact of refugee resettlement is just one aspect of a more complex issue involving economic, social, and political considerations. The purpose of this report is not to argue that all refugee resettlement is wrong, but rather to remind policymakers that there are costs associated with the program.”
Is this really a price Americans can pay when so many citizens are already struggling? Apparently, Joe Biden thinks so.
