The United States has a long tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution or war. Since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, the country has admitted over 3 million refugees for resettlement. During that same period, more than 600,000 people were granted asylum. U.S. policy towards refugees and asylees, the product of a shifting amalgam of international protocols and treaties, congressional statutes, and executive branch action, has evolved over time. Under the Trump administration, refugee admissions have slowed to a crawl, while requests for asylum, particularly on the southern border, have soared. This collection of studies deals with the root causes of refugee movements, the nature of the American response to these movements, the components of effective refugee resettlement, and refugee contributions to American life. Other studies examine the reasons for the influx of asylum seekers on the southern border and how the asylum system can respond responsibly and humanely to this pressing challenge.

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