The United States has a long history of welcoming individuals who have fled their home countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution. Approximately two-thirds of all refugee resettlement referrals are undertaken by the U.S. and every U.S. President since Reagan has reaffirmed the important role refugee resettlement represents in supporting U.S. values. Since his election, President Trump has indicated an intent to reevaluate the United States' commitment to refugee resettlement, citing national security concerns and a distrust of the current vetting process. Two executive orders (January 27 and March 6, 2017) which proposed a suspension of all refugee admissions were blocked by U.S. federal courts.
This live online briefing, the fifth in the Society's series on "International Law and the Trump Administration," will feature former senior U.S. officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations who were responsible for formulating policy and advising the Executive Branch on the United States' domestic and international obligations towards refugees.
Participants
- Alex Aleinikoff, director, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School, and former general counsel of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Sam Witten, counsel, Arnold & Porter Kay Scholer LLP, and former principal deputy and acting assistant secretary of state for Population, Refugees and Migration
- Jane Stromseth (moderator), professor of law, Georgetown University Law Center
For more details and to register, please visit www.asil.org/100Days.