Kansas City refugee resettlement declines amid U.S. policy

? The plummeting number of refugees resettling in Kansas City mirrors a national trend, particularly among predominantly Muslim countries.

U.S. Department of State data compiled by The Associated Press show that fewer than 480 refugees resettled in Kansas City last year, compared to more than 740 in 2016. Just over 50 refugees resettled in the city this fiscal year, which is halfway over.

The Kansas City Star reports that the city’s biggest drop has been among refugees from Somalia. Kansas City welcomed nearly 160 Somali refugees last year. But this fiscal year, there’s been five.

The numbers reflect federal policy changes starting early last year. President Donald Trump has lowered the cap on refugee admissions, suspended a program that reunites families split during resettlement and banned arrivals from several countries, mostly Muslim, including Somalia.