BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): The Trump administration capping refugees admitted into the U.S. to a record low. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo proposing a cap of 30,000 refugee admissions in 2019. Pompeo says the new cap serves our national security interests but critics don't agree. Here to break it down is the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, Jessica Vaughan. Jessica, are you for lowering the cap from 45,000, which many thought was low, to 30?
JESSICA VAUGHAN (CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES): Yes. I know that the resettlement agencies and contractors are complaining, but this is a realistic number of people that we can take through theU.N. resettlement program that we can resettle with our resources and make sure that they are adequately vetted and screened to avoid some of the security problems that we've had in the past, and also it's a realistic number that we can support once they get here to make sure that they're going to settle in, assimilate, and succeed once they're resettled.
KILMEADE: How much do they cost us, Jessica, how much do they cost us, or do they end up eventually being a benefit in some cases?
VAUGHAN: Well, we spend about $1 billion every year in refugee assistance and support programs not just for the refugees that we take through the U.N., but through the many other humanitarian admissions programs that we have, like for people who are seeking asylum, for the Cubans and Haitians, for the people from Afghanistan and Iraq who worked for the U.S. government. So it's a massive program, really a very generous humanitarian admissions program, but it is costly. We expect that taking in people who are destitute is going to require public dollars, but that's why we need to limit the number to a reasonable number, that we can do a good job of supporting and also make sure that we're avoiding the security problems that we've had and not admitting people who are going to be a threat to our communities.
KILMEADE: So do you see what's happening in Germany, do you see what's happening in Sweden, do you see what's happening in England? Is that why you're wary?
VAUGHAN: Well, of course. And incidents here within the United States as well. Recently there was the case of a man admitted from Iraq through the refugee program who is responsible for a murder, and the important thing is is that we be able to do the job right and accept a realistic number. And also remember that bringing people here for resettlement is not the only way to help displaced people in the world. We funnel billions of dollars into international and U.S.-led assistance programs all over the globe. For example, more than 7 billion in Syria alone. So this is a balanced approach.
KILMEADE: And they say 93 percent lives of U.N. cases are normal circumstances only 6 percent are in a dire situation.
