Women’s Refugee Commission Condemns Record-Low U.S. Refugee Admissions Cap

The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), an organization dedicated to improving the lives and protecting the rights of women and girls displaced by conflict or crisis, today issued the following statement in response to the Presidential Determination on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 (PD), which sets the refugee admissions goal at 7,500—the lowest level in the 45-year history of the US Refugee Admissions Program—and excludes the vast majority of the people fleeing persecution who are refugees as defined by the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

Statement from Melanie Nezer, Vice President of Advocacy and External Affairs, Women’s Refugee Commission:

“Across the world, women and girls fleeing endless violence and persecution look to the United States as their last hope for safety. Even those who have already completed all the required interviews and screenings, and have been approved for resettlement, find themselves shut out because they do not meet the administration’s narrow view of who in this world deserves safety and a chance at a future. 

“Closing the door to refugee protection except for a privileged few will endanger them further and undermine the principles of compassion and humanity that have long defined America’s leadership.”