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Trump plans to slash refugee admissions to new low

President Donald Trump’s administration plans to slash the number of refugees the U.S takes in to 15,000 in the new fiscal year, which began Thursday - a new historic low.

The State Department said the new cap reflects the Trump administration's priority to ensure the "safety and well-being of Americans, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."

Trump: "Another massive issue for Minnesota is the election of Joe Biden's plan to inundate your state with a historic flood of refugees."

The state Department's announcement came as U.S. President Donald Trump at a Minnesota rally Wednesday night railed against his Democratic opponent Joe Biden for his pledge to roll back Trump's restrictions on admitting refugees, if elected.

"They pledged a 700 percent increase in refugees, 700 percent. Congratulations, Minnesota."

Trump then went after Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a former Somali refugee and naturalized American citizen.

"Then she tells us how to run our country, can you believe it? How the hell did Minnesota elect her? What the hell is wrong with you people — right?"

The refugee cap was cut to 18,000 last year - but around 7,000 of those slots went unused, according to government data, as increased vetting by the Trump administration and the pandemic slowed arrivals.

Biden has pledged, if he wins, to raise the number of refugees admitted to 125,000 a year, slightly more than President Barack Obama allowed during his last year in office.