WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, this evening made the following statement regarding the State Department’s announcement that it will reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States next year to 30,000:

“The Trump Administration’s determination to shut the door on the world’s most vulnerable people will surely go down as one of the ugliest chapters of this presidency. Secretary Pompeo can lecture all he wants about the ‘protection and assistance offered by the United States,’ but the reality is that the Trump Administration has sought to cut investments in diplomacy and development by a third and has repeatedly undermined American leadership all over the world.

“Quite simply, this decision will lead to innocent people dying. Consider Syria. We’re denying Syrian refugees a safe haven and doing nothing to support other countries to which Syrians are fleeing. As the battle in Idlib intensifies, this situation will only worsen.

“The damage this Administration is doing to America’s standing in the world is going to be hard to repair. This decision isn’t swagger. It’s cowardice, cruelty, and a heartless betrayal of American values.”

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