Number of refugees resettled in Idaho drops by half

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new report from the International Rescue Commission finds that the number of refugees resettled in Idaho has declined by half since 2016.

Boise State Public Radio reports in the 2016 fiscal year, Idaho resettled an average of 67 refugees each month. So far this year, the state is averaging about 33 refugees per month.
The International Rescue Committee says Idaho is not alone — the number of refugees entering the United States is at a historic low.

Zeze Rwasama is the director of the Refugee Center at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. He says the decrease in the number of refugees resettled in Twin Falls is affecting people already living there, because it means many of them are waiting longer for refugee friends or family members to arrive.