The Obama administration announced it will expand the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to help vulnerable Central American families -- a move that already received mixed support from lawmakers.

Refugee Program Expansion

The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State John Kerry announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program will help individuals and families from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and offer them a legal alternative instead of traveling north, where many migrants may encounter dangerous paths and human smugglers.

The State Department said it will partner with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on identifying individuals and families eligible of human protection, which may include those targeted by criminal gangs and those who defended human rights.

Lukewarm Response

On Thursday morning, Democratic Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Zoe Lofgren of California and Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, in a joint statement, said the Obama administration's partnership with the UNHCR and other NGOs will provide critical support on best practices for refugee care and management.

"However, we do not believe that this Central American refugee resettlement program should be used as justification to deny or deter refugees from seeking asylum protection under our immigration laws here in the United States," wrote the three House Democrats.

As Latin Post reported, 146 House Democrats, including Gutierrez, Lofgren and Roybal-Allard, released a letter to President Barack Obama on developing an improved comprehensive refugee solution and halt the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's deportation raids. The letter condemns the Obama administration for allowing the deportation campaign as numerous concerns have been raised, including inadequate legal counsel, due process and deceptive tactics by officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The 146 lawmakers agreed that there's a need for a comprehensive refugee plan for Central Americans, that should include screenings, resettlement and Temporary Protected Status.

"We are concerned that many of these families did not receive adequate due process and some may have already been deported to countries where they will face persecution, torture or death. We do not believe that these deportation and deterrent tactics will dissuade desperate mothers and children from fleeing for their lives," said Lofgren, Roybal-Allard and Gutierrez on Thursday. "The U.S. must continue to be a beacon of safety and refuge for those seeking protection from persecution. This new Central American refugee program should be an expansion of our efforts to provide refuge -- not a substitute for our existing asylum process."

According to the State Department, the U.S. has welcomed more than three million refugees since 1975.

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