Bishop Cahill calls for US to remain a place of refuge

Bishop Brendan J. Cahill said the United States must continue to serve as a refuge for people fleeing persecution. In a statement, he noted that the current administration's suspension of the refugee program in January 2025 has caused a dramatic contraction in resettlement efforts.

Cahill pointed out that while annual refugee admissions have historically averaged about 92,000 people, the Presidential Determination for fiscal year 2027 is set at 17,500. He noted these admissions are reportedly reserved for Afrikaners from South Africa who are being resettled as exceptions to the general program suspension.

The bishop stated that this figure represents an 80% decline from the historical annual average. He argued that this trend tests a national tradition rooted in history and the Catholic conviction that every person possesses inviolable dignity. This decline occurs as more than 41 million people worldwide live as refugees, the highest number since World War II.