Read a short explainer here.

The public has so many myths about immigration. I keep hearing the phrase, “I’m all for legal immigration, or people should just get in line like my ancestors did.” They say they just want people to come into the country the “right way.”

This is not how it works. It has not worked that way for a century. There is no Ellis Island; there is no “line” to immigrate to the United States.

Immigration to the United States is based on selection or sponsorship by families, employers or the U.S. government. All of the processes are riddled with complicated rules and regulations and can take years, even decades. With the shutdown of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and the suspension of the ability to apply for asylum at the border, there is simply no line to wait in for those seeking protection against threats to their lives.

With the shutdown of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and the suspension of the ability to apply for asylum at the border, there is simply no line to wait in for those seeking protection against threats to their lives.”

Many early immigrants, in the 1800s and early 1900s, came to the U.S. from Northern and Western Europe without having to apply or go through immigration processes. Historical laws permitted any white person of good character who had been in the U.S. for two years to apply for citizenship. However, the U.S. blocked Chinese immigrants in the 1880s, as well as other groups at different points throughout U.S. history. Ad-hoc refugee resettlement was created in 1948 post-World War II; in the 1950s, the U.S. admitted over 3 million “cold war” refugees. Refugee resettlement was formalized with the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980.

Today, the United Nations estimates there are more than 120 million people who have been forcibly displaced. Of those, 43 million are registered as refugees. A tiny percent of refugees, in fact fewer than 1 percent, are resettled into a third country after fleeing their homes. In addition, the Refugee Act of 1980 established a systematic process for resettlement. Here’s how it works:

People who now want to come to the United States – for many of the same reasons early immigrants came (religious freedom, fleeing war, seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families) – no longer can come stand in a line or register to do so.

The president of the United States decides how many refugees may come into the U.S. each year. This is called the Presidential Determination (PD), and during the Biden administration, this PD was set at 125,000 refugees per year. During the first Trump administration, the PD started at 45,000 in 2017 and was set lower each year, with a refugee ceiling of 15,000 in 2021. Today, the number is effectively zero because President Trump has suspended resettlement.

Resettlement agencies have had extreme impacts from this suspension, with widespread layoffs and closures. In addition, refugees newly arrived to the U.S. before the president’s inauguration have been cut off from assistance that was part of their first 90 days in the country. And they will not have the opportunity have family members join them.

Here at CVT’s U.S.-based programs, we have had impacts as well. Because the resettlement agencies have closed, the demand for care from CVT has increased. In addition, CVT works closely with resettlement agencies helping refugee clients get the services they need. Without these agencies, many essential services are no longer available. For example, at CVT Georgia, we partner with resettlement agencies for interpretation services. These are critical to providing good care but are no longer available.

The U.S. needs immigration reform so that there are clear processes and pathways that uphold the American legacy of providing a safe haven for people seeking safety, respect U.S. legal obligations towards those individuals, and meet the labor needs of the country. And it seems that people don’t realize that the labor shortage is dramatic: There is currently a workforce shortage of 7.6 million nationally.

People once looked to the United States as a beacon of hope – that is undoubtedly the dream that so many people’s ancestors pursued a century ago.”

In addition to re-starting the Refugee Admissions Program, a pragmatic solution would be to create a workforce program that gives immigrants work visas with the ability to adjust their status after a certain amount of time in the U.S. and pending background checks.

People once looked to the United States as a beacon of hope – that is undoubtedly the dream that so many people’s ancestors pursued a century ago. But those simpler days are no longer a reality. The process is complicated but it is necessary so that those fleeing persecution and torture have an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

About The Author

Alison Beckman

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