How many refugees and asylum seekers were admitted each year under Biden Trump and Obama
Executive summary
Refugee admissions fell sharply under Trump and then rose under Biden: sources report roughly 118,000 refugees resettled across FY2017–FY2020 during the Trump years and nearly 197,000 across FY2021–FY2024 under Biden (Migration Policy) [1]. Other contemporaneous reporting gives a slightly different Biden total — 185,640 or 185,640–185,640 for October 2021–September 2024 — reflecting different reporting periods and counting conventions (PBS/AP) [2] [3].
1. The headline numbers: different ways to count administrations’ totals
Different outlets report different multi‑year totals because they use different fiscal ranges and cutoffs. Migration Policy’s recent tally compares FY2017–FY2020 (Trump) at about 118,000 refugees with FY2021–FY2024 (Biden) at nearly 197,000 refugees [1]. AP and PBS cite 185,640 refugees admitted from October 2021 through September 2024 — a narrower window within Biden’s term that nonetheless confirms a large rebound from Trump years [2] [3]. These discrepancies illustrate that “how many” depends on which fiscal years, which start/end dates, and whether related categories (e.g., certain FY2020 arrivals counted toward FY2018 ceilings) are included [1].
2. Year‑by‑year patterns: collapse, cap, then recovery
The pattern is consistent across sources: admissions collapsed during Trump, with the refugee ceiling slashed from Obama’s 110,000 target down to 15,000 for FY2021, and resettlement totals hit historic lows [1] [4]. Biden inherited an impaired system and initially admitted only about 11,411 refugees in FY2021 before raising the cap mid‑year to 62,500; the program then ramped up to roughly 25,500 in FY2022 and about 60,000 in FY2023 with FY2024 reaching the highest level since the 1990s [5] [6] [7]. Migration Policy puts the cumulative FY2021–24 number near 197,000, reflecting that recovery [1].
3. Why the totals differ: ceilings vs. actual admissions, fiscal vs. calendar windows
Official “ceilings” set in Presidential Determinations (e.g., Biden’s 125,000 target for FY2022) differ from the number actually resettled that year [8] [6]. Counting periods matter: some reports use fiscal years (Oct–Sep), others use calendar windows or truncated ranges like Oct 2021–Sep 2024 [2] [3]. Court settlements and accounting rules also shift which arrivals are credited to which fiscal year [1]. Any aggregate across multiple years must disclose the exact range and whether derivative refugees, special immigrant visas, or backlog adjustments are included [1] [9].
4. Competing narratives: rebuilding vs. expediency
Proponents of Biden’s approach point to a rebuilt resettlement pipeline and steep increases in admissions — Migration Policy argues the program “resettled the most refugees in 30 years” by FY2024 and highlights investments in staffing and processes to speed admissions [1]. Critics — and the Trump administration’s memo cited by AP and Reuters — argue the rapid uptick prioritized “quantity” over “detailed screening and vetting,” prompting a planned review of refugees admitted since January 20, 2021 [3] [10]. Both perspectives are present in reporting and explain policy moves such as the USCIS review [3] [10].
5. Legal and policy fallout: reviews, pauses, and caps
The incoming Trump administration (as reported) has ordered broad reviews of Biden‑era refugee approvals and set a historically low ceiling — a reported 7,500 cap for a later fiscal year — while pausing some immigration processes; advocates warn of legal challenges and human costs [10] [11] [12]. Nonprofit and legal groups estimate roughly 185,000–200,000 refugees admitted under Biden could be affected by such reviews, but precise counts vary by source and the exact date ranges used [3] [13].
6. What the sources don’t resolve
Available sources do not mention a single, uniformly accepted year‑by‑year table covering every fiscal year for Trump, Biden, and Obama in one place; they instead provide snapshots, cumulative multi‑year totals with differing windows, and ceiling targets versus realized admissions [1] [8] [6]. For a definitive year‑by‑year breakdown you would need the State Department’s Refugee Admissions Reports or DHS annual flow tables referenced in these articles; the cited pieces summarize and analyze those data rather than reproducing a full, harmonized table [1] [9].
7. Bottom line for readers
If you compare like with like (FY2017–FY2020 vs. FY2021–FY2024), Migration Policy finds roughly 118,000 refugees resettled under Trump and nearly 197,000 under Biden [1]. Other reputable outlets using slightly different time frames report about 185,640 refugees admitted during October 2021–September 2024 [2] [3]. Interpret any figure only after checking the exact fiscal or calendar window, whether ceilings or admissions are cited, and whether court or accounting adjustments were applied [1] [8].