Dear Mr. SVLG Blog Post,
Thank you for writing to share your thoughts regarding the Trump administration’s unlawful suspension of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). I appreciate hearing from you.
I have been a strong supporter of the United States Refugee Admission Program. The USRAP was established on a bipartisan basis by the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-212), and it functions through strong public-private partnerships that drive economic growth, advance global stability and peace, and support our national security and diplomatic priorities. The USRAP represents the best of American values and is part of what makes our country great. Furthermore, from 2005 to 2019, refugees contributed $123.8 billion more to the U.S. economy than they received.
Upon being sworn in, President Trump signed Executive Order 14013 indefinitely suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. This Executive Order, titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program,” ended all refugee resettlement indefinitely, and thousands of people who had already been vetted and approved had their flights to the U.S. cancelled immediately. These actions undermine America’s longstanding commitment to humanitarian protection and place tens of thousands of vulnerable individuals—including those who served alongside U.S. armed forces—at grave risk.
That is why I joined a group of 21 Senators in sending a letter on April 2, 2025, to Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Noem demanding answers and that they restart this historically bipartisan program. The letter also highlighted the administration’s delay after court orders required the administration to begin processing refugees who were conditionally approved before January 20th and in reimbursing all resettlement agencies for their critical work in helping refugees once they arrive.
You may also be interested to know that on January 29, 2025, I joined a letter to Secretary Rubio, led by the Ranking Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and Immigration Subcommittees, urging him to immediately revoke the stop work orders against resettlement agencies across the country that provide services to refugees. The Reception and Placement program supports organizations inside the United States that help refugees in their first months after arriving here, giving them tools to rebuild their lives with a strong foundation.
The Trump administration’s targeting of these critical programs hurts not only our foreign policy efforts, but also our immigrant communities and our economy at large. As Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, please know that I will strongly oppose these efforts.
Once again, thank you for writing. Should you have any other questions or comments, please call my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3553 or visit my website at padilla.senate.gov. You can also follow me on Facebook, and Twitter, and you can sign up for my email newsletter at padilla.senate.gov/newsletter.
Sincerely,
Alex Padilla
United States Senator
Spring Valley Lemon Grove Democratic Club 