The Trump administration on Thursday proposed slashing refugee admissions to 18,000 for fiscal year 2020, marking a record low total since the program began in 1980.
The Trump administration last year set the refugee cap at 30,000. The administration has made curbing the number of migrants entering the country a priority.
The Departments of State, Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services submitted the proposed refugee admissions for fiscal year 2020 in a report to Congress on Thursday.
The Trump administration said it was necessary to reduce the number of refugee admissions in order to focus on addressing the flow of migrants at the U.S. southern border with Mexico and reducing the large backlog of asylum claims.