As of September 2020, 11,812 refugees had been resettled in the United States as of that date. The 2020 fiscal year quota for resettled refugees has been significantly cut from the previous year’s 30,500 – a 40% reduction from the quota allotted in 2020. This is an unprecedented low for the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which in its history has a very high average of 97,500. In some states and localities, the numbers are even lower. The decrease in U.S. refugee resettlement numbers has been the result of more people applying for and securing private placement services, and lower rates of acceptance from the Department of State’s refugee admissions program. Of course, even though the number of requests has significantly dropped, there are still more than 8 million refugees around the world.
Texas has received the most refugees in recent years, with Austin being the fastest growing city with the most resettled refugee populations. Of course, San Antonio also has a large number of refugees, and Houston is expected to also see growth in their population. Houston is the second largest city, with Austin and Dallas following. The two biggest cities have higher than average population growth, but all other cities have growth rates of between one percent and two percent. This means that in 20 years, when Texas has grown its population, it will be twice as large as it is today.
The state of Texas, with a large chunk of the Southwestern United States, has traditionally been one of the biggest contributors to U.S. refugee numbers. In fact, Texas has served as a leading destination for those wishing to seek sanctuary in the country. Texas is home to over five million refugees, more than half of whom are resettling in the United States, making it one of the most prominent sources of immigration each year.
