I Helped Write the Refugee Act. Trump is Trampling It

Desperate refugees risked their lives on small, unseaworthy vessels, hoping to reach the shores of neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, or Hong Kong. Tens of thousands drowned, while others were raped, robbed, and murdered by pirates, finding vulnerable prey. I saw these tragedies unfold with my own eyes, as I slogged through refugee camps in Southeast Asia.

To encourage countries in the region not to condemn refugees from Southeast Asia to the same fate as the passengers of the St. Louis, we knew the United States had to act boldly and decisively. Congress did so by adopting the Refugee Act of 1980, to ensure the U.S. would relieve pressure on countries of first asylum by vetting and resettling a significant number of these refugees to the United States. In addition, as the United States was urging the countries of Southeast Asia and elsewhere to provide asylum to these refugees, we in Congress decided to lead by example and establish a U.S. asylum system as well, codifying U.S obligations under the Refugee Convention.