In response to the recent chemical attack in Syria and the US air strikes over the weekend, on Monday Governor Inslee sent a letter to Acting US Secretary of State John Sullivan asking him to reverse the Trump Administration’s policies that restrict qualified refugees from entering the United States.

Last year, President Trump announced his plan to limit the number of refugees entering the country to 45,000 – the lowest limit since 1980. Even with the lowered refugee admission cap, Inslee’s letter says for this fiscal year, the Administration is on track to allow half that number into the country.

“As inhumane as these policies are, it is even worse in practice,” wrote Inslee. “This Administration is currently on pace to admit only half the allowed number, with a mere 21,000 refugee resettlements anticipated in the current fiscal year. To put this in context, the United Nations estimates approximately 5.5 million Syrian refugees have fled the country, yet only 11 Syrians have been admitted to the United States so far this year.”

“At a time when record numbers of refugees are fleeing for safety, our country is setting record lows for the number of men, women and children we are choosing to help.”

Inslee’s letter also describes Washington’s history of welcoming refugees, noting that the state has resettled 145,000 refugees since 1975. In 2016, 3,297 refugees came to Washington State. In 2018, that number is expected to drop to 1,500.

“Those numbers may not mean much in a letter, but they mean everything to the 1,797 individuals who could seek refuge in my state — but because of this Administration’s policies, will not be allowed in. These 1,797 individuals are, at this very moment, experiencing hardships and trauma that threaten the lives of their children and themselves. Their futures are unclear. We could be providing a lifeline, but instead we are turning our back,” wrote Inslee.

The governor concluded the letter by asking Sullivan to reevaluate these policies and find a way to admit qualified refugees into the United States.

 “I urge you to swiftly review and reverse the current policies that are restricting the ability of qualified refugees to be admitted into the United States. Our nation is not doing its fair share in taking in endangered men, women and families, and this could have major long-term implications for our standing in the world.”

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