The head of the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program says the group will scale back its efforts after President Donald Trump announced a reduced admissions cap for refugees.
Amila Merdzanovic tells Vermont Public Radio that the agency had hoped to help 450 refugees relocate to Vermont in the new fiscal year. Instead, they will aim for 345.
She says the State Department has approved plans to resettle 270 refugees in Colchester and 75 in Rutland.
Trump says a maximum of 45,000 refugees will be allowed into the U.S. in fiscal year 2018 — the lowest cap in decades.
Merdzanovic said she was “devastated” by the reduced numbers.
The White House says the reduction is needed to allow more thorough vetting of applicants.