ABSTRACT
Authorized in-migration to the United States occurs within three broad categories: immigrant visas issued under a preference system subject to a 270,000 annual ceiling and a maximum per country of 20,000; immediate relatives of US citizens; and refugee admissions. Prior to passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, Congress imposed a ceiling of 17,400 on admissions in the seventh preference (refugee) category. Admissions are used to embarrass and discredit nations defined as “adversaries” by the foreign policy-making establishment. In addition, the Reagan and Bush administrations have consistently set disproportionately low admission ceilings for refugees from two regions of the world: Africa and Latin America. Inconsistent adjudication characterizes the refugee-admission decisions made by inadequately trained and understaffed Immigration and Naturalization circuit riders. The presence of fear of personal persecution constitutes the most crucial consideration that qualifies an individual for admission to the United States under the Refugee Act of 1980.
