Executive Order 14163 suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) based on the assertion that the United States has been 'inundated with record levels of migration' over the past four years. The order frames the suspension as necessary because the country 'lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees' without compromising resources for Americans, public safety, and proper assimilation of refugees. It explicitly characterizes refugee admissions as currently 'detrimental to the interests of the United States' and positions itself as a response to what it describes as emergency situations in multiple jurisdictions, including New York and Massachusetts, which the order states have declared states of emergency due to increased migration.
Effective January 27, 2025, the order halts refugee admissions and suspends decisions on applications for refugee status, with limited exceptions. The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security retain discretion to admit refugees on a case-by-case basis when deemed in the national interest and not posing security or welfare threats. The order also revokes Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021 ('Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration'). Additionally, it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to examine existing law to determine how state and local jurisdictions might have greater involvement in refugee placement decisions within their boundaries.
Implementation responsibilities are assigned primarily to the Department of Homeland Security, with the Secretary required to submit a report within 90 days—in consultation with the Secretary of State—regarding whether resumption of the refugee program would align with U.S. interests as defined by the order. Similar reports must be submitted every 90 days thereafter until the President determines the program should resume. The order establishes a policy framework emphasizing that 'public safety and national security are paramount considerations' in refugee admissions and aims to ensure refugees can 'fully and appropriately assimilate' while 'preserving taxpayer resources for citizens.' The implementation process creates an indefinite suspension with a review mechanism, but provides no specific metrics or conditions that would trigger resumption of the program.