WASHINGTON, Sept 6: US President Joe Biden's administration plans to keep its target of accepting 125,000 refugees next year, according to an internal report to US lawmakers reviewed by Reuters, signaling a refugee ramp-up will continue if Kamala Harris wins the White House.
The Biden administration is on pace to bring in 100,000 people through the US Refugee Admissions Program in fiscal year 2024, which ends on Sept. 30, according to the document, which has not been previously reported. If successful, that would be the highest level in three decades.
Immigration is a top voter concern in the run-up to Nov. 5 elections that will pit Harris, a Democrat and Biden's vice president, against Republican Donald Trump. Trump greatly curtailed refugee admissions during his 2017-2021 presidency and has pledged a wide-ranging immigration crackdown if reelected. —REUTERS