President Donald Trump is slashing the refugee admissions quota to 45,000 for the 2018 fiscal year, the latest in a series of moves reducing the number of refugees who can seek safety in the United States. Senior administration officials told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security is working to enhance the vetting and screening procedures used in the refugee resettlement process, as prescribed by Trump in his various travel bans. The final number was determined following disagreements between different cabinet members and branches of government, several news outlets reported. The State Department formally recommended the administration stick with the 50,000 number, Trump administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press on Sept. 21. Senior officials noted on the call Wednesday that some of the refugee resettlement program’s resources need to be devoted to this backlog going forward.

Source: Huffington Post September 27, 2017 21:16 UTC