Biden Quadruples Trump-Era Refugee Caps To 62,500

President Joe Biden confirmed Tuesday that he will more than quadruple the United States’ refugee limit for immigration from 15,00 to 62,500. In April, Biden signed an order that extended the Trump-era cap, but vowed to eventually increase the limit. Biden had pledged to increase the cap during the campaign.

“It is important to take this action today to remove any lingering doubt in the minds of refugees around the world who have suffered so much, and who are anxiously waiting for their new lives to begin,” Biden said in a statement Monday.

Biden’s words were matched by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), who said in a  statement, “While this new administration inherited a broken immigration system that was gutted and sabotaged by the previous president, it is on all of us to fix it — quickly. We must continue to rebuild our refugee system and reform our immigration system in a humane way that focuses on dignity, respect, and family unity,”

Despite Biden’s order to increase the number of refugees allowed in the United States, it is unlikely that all of the slots will be filled in time. The procedure for processing refugees’ documents will add years to each applicant’s case. “The sad truth is that we will not achieve 62,500 admissions this year,” Biden said in his statement. “We are working quickly to undo the damage of the last four years. It will take some time, but that work is already underway.”