ExecutiveOrdersEO
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Presidential Determination

Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020

This determination sets the FY2020 refugee admissions cap at 18,000, the lowest level in modern U.S. history, with specific regional allocations and transfer authority. It also designates certain in-country populations (Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Northern Triangle countries, and exceptional embassy-identified cases) as eligible for refugee processing without requiring flight to a third country.

Federal Register Open PDF 84 FR 65903

Impact dates

  1. FY2020 ends, admissions ceiling expires

  2. FY2020 begins, admissions cap effective

Key directives

  • Set FY2020 refugee admissions ceiling at 18,000
  • Allocate admissions among refugees of special humanitarian concern per accompanying report
  • Authorize Secretary of State to transfer unused admissions between allocations with interagency consultation and congressional notification
  • Designate overseas refugee admissions program applicants as contributing to foreign policy interests under Migration and Refugee Assistance Act
  • Specify in-country refugee eligibility for populations in Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador, and exceptional embassy-identified cases
  • Direct publication in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • 18,000 refugee admissions cap takes effect for FY2020 (October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020)
  • in-country refugee processing designations take effect

Near term (90d)

  • Secretary of State may begin transferring unused allocations between categories after consultation with DHS, HHS, and DOJ

Long term

  • refugee resettlement infrastructure contraction due to historically low cap
  • potential downstream effects on regional stability and ally burden-sharing

Risks & tensions

  • Historically low cap strains refugee resettlement infrastructure and international burden-sharing expectations
  • In-country processing for Northern Triangle may blur refugee/asylum distinctions and draw congressional scrutiny
  • Transfer authority concentrated in Secretary of State with interagency consultation creates potential for interagency friction over allocation priorities
  • Exceptional circumstances embassy designation provides broad discretionary authority with limited transparency
Presidential Determination: Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 · Executive Orders