Index/Topics/U.S. refugee admissions

U.S. refugee admissions

The US has sharply restricted refugee admissions, particularly from countries on its travel-ban list, including Somalia.

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8 results
Jan 13, 2026
Most Viewed

What categories (family, employment, refugee, diversity) make up annual immigrant visa issuances and how many visas does each category typically provide?

The United States’ permanent immigrant visa system is composed chiefly of family‑sponsored, employment‑based, refugee/asylee, and diversity‑lottery categories, each governed by distinct statutory limi...

Jan 19, 2026
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How did U.S. refugee vetting procedures change after the 2011 Iraqi refugee security case?

The 2011 Iraqi refugee security case prompted the Obama administration to re-examine and tighten screening for Iraqi applicants, leading to more exhaustive checks against databases and greater scrutin...

Jan 21, 2026

Why is the U.S. refugee policy in a place where it should not be changed?

refugee policy has been pushed into a markedly restrictive and discretionary posture by a combination of executive orders, agency directives, and political priorities that , prioritize narrow groups, ...

Jan 11, 2026

How have US public-assistance rates for Somali immigrants changed since 2010 and after major policy shifts?

Somali-origin households in the United States — and especially in Minnesota — have been measured as having markedly higher rates of public‑assistance use and poverty since 2010, with several 2024–2025...

Jan 11, 2026

How did Ilhan Omar obtain refugee status and resettle in the United States?

Ilhan Omar and her family fled violence in Somalia, spent years in a Kenyan refugee camp, and — after what she and reporting describe as a “painstaking vetting process” — were granted refugee status a...

Jan 10, 2026

How do U.S. immigration laws and asylum processes affect Somali arrivals in 2025?

U.S. immigration policy in 2025 both narrows legal pathways for new Somali arrivals and creates precarious protections for those already here: a presidential proclamation restricts entry of Somali nat...

Jan 8, 2026

What are the typical resettlement and naturalization timelines for Somali refugees who came to the U.S. in the 1990s?

Somali refugee resettlement to the United States began in earnest around 1990–1992 and escalated through the mid‑1990s with distinct waves from Mogadishu and other regions, producing major community h...

Jan 8, 2026

What federal and state policies affected refugee placement during 2009–2017?

Federal law, executive decisions, and interagency programs shaped where refugees arrived and how they were settled in the United States between 2009 and 2017, with the Refugee Act’s placement framewor...