BOISE, Idaho — Each year, the White House sets the overall maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States. In 2024 and under the Biden administration, that max cap was set at 125,000. On January 20th, the Trump administration halted all refugee admittances for 90 days. The immediate stoppage of refugees impacted those already making progress to enter the United States legally.
Holly Beech, communications manager with the Idaho Office for Refugees, said, “All of a sudden, abruptly, they were told that would not be happening for the time being, which leaves people obviously in pain and in limbo— and that leaves their families in some precarious situations because they’re refugees too.”
Lana Graybeal has called Boise home for over 10 years. “My family arrived as refugees in 1990 under the Bush administration... and we were actually resettled in California and had moved around quite a bit," she said.
Refugees seek asylum in the United States for many reasons. Beech said refugees are often locked into places where they can't work or are persecuted. She said the reaction to the 90-day hold from families here in Idaho has been one of devastation.
“Initially, the family’s reaction was shock, especially the high excitement of knowing your loved one's going to finally be here with you,” Beech said. “And then the door abruptly closing. It’s shock, it’s heartbreak, and it’s devastation.”
Originally from Azerbaijan, Graybeal’s family stayed in an abandoned Russian hotel for two and a half years to avoid ethnic cleansing before escaping to the USA.
“I still consider myself to be a refugee,” Graybeal explained. "I know there’s the term used, former refugee, but that is such a big part of who I am and how I navigate this world."
With the halt on incoming refugees set to expire at the end of April, families of those seeking asylum are set to face even more uncertainty. For the future of this issue, the buck stops at the White House.
“The President will have the opportunity to determine if resuming the refugee admissions program is in the best interest of the United States,” Beech said.
