Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today made the following statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to cut the number refugees allowed in the United States:

“President Trump’s latest attack on the refugee resettlement program is an outrage. At a time when there is a global refugee crisis with a record number of people desperately seeking safety, the number of refugees he has proposed to admit to the United States next year is a stunning, all-time low.

“Around the world, nearly 70 million people have been driven from their homes. These are innocent women, men, children, and families who have fled conflict, war, and persecution; lost their loved ones and their homes; been forced to languish in tents and temporary shelters; and faced rape, torture and murder while trying to find safety.

“Instead of honoring our country’s tradition as a safe haven for refugees, the Trump Administration is slamming the door on the world’s most vulnerable people. This is a disgraceful affront to our country’s values and history.