Here is the White House announcement (posted in full below).
(I’m still looking for the very detailed report, like this one for FY 2015, that is supposed to have been available weeks ago. If you see it let me know!)
One thing I would like to know, and you probably would too, is WHY ARE WE STILL BRINGING ANY ‘REFUGEES’ FROM CUBA?
Human Rights First (first out of the box) criticizes Obama, here.
International Rescue Committee next in line to criticize the O-man.
Presidential Determination — Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2016
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2016
In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the “Act”) (8 U.S.C. 1157), and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize the following actions:
The admission of up to 85,000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest; provided that this number shall be understood as including persons admitted to the United States during FY 2016 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under the Amerasian immigrant admissions program, as provided below.
The admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations; provided that the number of admissions allocated to the East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the United States during FY 2016 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained in section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian immigrants and their family members):
(Editor: I have added the 2015 numbers in red for comparison)
Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000 (17,000)
East Asia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,000 (13,000)
Europe and Central Asia . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 (1,000)
Latin America/Caribbean. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000 (4,000)
Near East/South Asia. . . . . . . . . . . . 34,000 (33,000)
Unallocated Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000 (2,000)
The 6,000 unallocated refugee numbers shall be allocated to regional ceilings, as needed. Upon providing notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are hereby authorized to use unallocated admissions in regions where the need for additional admissions arises.
Additionally, upon notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are further authorized to transfer unused admissions allocated to a particular region to one or more other regions, if there is a need for greater admissions for the region or regions to which the admissions are being transferred.
Consistent with section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, I hereby determine that assistance to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for this purpose. Consistent with section 101(a)(42) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 (a)(42)), and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 2016, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence:
Persons in Cuba
Persons in Eurasia and the Baltics
Persons in Iraq
Persons in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador
In exceptional circumstances, persons identified by a United States Embassy in any location
You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
If you are wondering what that last bit is about, it is this: refugees by definition are supposed to have left the country of their persecution. We are not supposed to be plucking them from the place they claim to be persecuted, but over time this list has expanded (like everything else with this program!).
Don’t forget, the first hearing (since 9/11!) to address refugee resettlement in either the House or Senate will be tomorrow. Click here for more.