[ti:Biden Raises US Refugee Limit to 62,500] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]President Joe Biden officially raised the nation’s cap [00:05.72]on refugee admissions to 62,500 this year. [00:13.68]The action came weeks after Biden faced criticism [00:19.08]for his delay in removing the record-low limit [00:23.56]set by former President Donald Trump. [00:27.52]Refugee resettlement agencies have waited for Biden [00:32.36]to increase the number of refugees [00:35.24]permitted into the United States since February 12. [00:40.00]That was the day he sent a presidential proposal [00:44.08]to Congress saying he planned to do so. [00:48.56]But the presidential proposal went unsigned until Monday. [00:53.80]Biden said that before he could sign the plan, [00:57.48]he needed to change narrow rules [01:00.92]put in place by Trump that had kept out most refugees. [01:06.04]After making the changes, Biden kept in [01:10.52]Trump’s cap of 15,000 refugees per year. [01:15.08]He explained that the limit remained “justified [01:19.44]by humanitarian concerns” and was “in the national interest.” [01:25.84]That brought strong criticism. [01:28.80]The number two Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, [01:33.36]called the cap “unacceptable.” [01:36.28]Within hours, the White House changed the decision. [01:40.48]It promised to increase the cap by May 15. [01:44.88]It added, however, that it would not meet the 62,500 number [01:51.16]the president had promised earlier. [01:54.84]In the end, however, Biden said he received additional information [01:59.92]that led him to return to that number. [02:03.36]“It is important to take this action today [02:07.32]to remove any lingering doubt [02:10.40]in the minds of refugees around the world [02:13.76]who have suffered so much,” Biden stated before signing it. [02:19.32]He said Trump’s cap did not represent “America’s values [02:24.76]as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees.” [02:29.64]He also said it was a “sad truth” that the U.S. would not [02:34.52]meet the number by the end of the fiscal year in September. [02:39.16]That is because of the COVID-19 pandemic [02:43.60]and limitations on the country’s ability to resettle refugees. [02:49.44]He blamed the limitations on the Trump administration’s policies. [02:54.68]The White House said it was unable to act until now [02:59.44]because of the difficulties at the border as young migrants from El Salvador, [03:05.48]Guatemala and Honduras continue arriving in large numbers. [03:11.40]Supporters of an increase in the number of refugees, [03:15.68]including Durbin, accused Biden of playing politics. [03:20.64]The number of refugees is expected to be expanded to 125,000 for 2022. [03:30.76]Only about 2,000 refugees have been resettled [03:35.44]in the U.S. since October 1, 2020. [03:39.96]Refugee resettlement agencies praised Biden’s actions. [03:45.60]Krish O’Mara Vignarajah [03:48.88]is the head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, [03:53.28]one of nine resettlement agencies in the U.S. [03:57.84]She said her organization is pleased, [04:01.08]as are “families all across the world who look to the U.S. for protection.” [04:07.24]The United States, she added, [04:09.72]is returning to worldwide “humanitarian leadership.” [04:14.40]Biden also ended Trump’s restrictions [04:17.80]on resettlements from Somalia, Syria and Yemen. [04:22.84]About 35,000 refugees have been approved to enter the United States, [04:28.88]with 100,000 others still waiting to be cleared. [04:34.00]I’m Susan Shand. [04:36.24]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM