Article snippet: 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. “The United States has always been and will always remain the most generous nation in the world when it comes to welcoming those in need of humanitarian protection, including refugees, asylees, and victims of trafficking,” said Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan in a statement. “The Administration’s proposal for refugee admissions in Fiscal Year 2020 will allow the Department of Homeland Security to focus on addressing the ongoing crisis at the southern border, reducing a staggering asylum backlog that unfairly delays relief for those with meritorious claims, and completing more overall cases in an increasingly multifaceted humanitarian workload,” McAleenan said. A senior official told reporters Thursday that the adminis... Link to the full article to read more