Tuesday, October 20, 2020
The Trump administration has decreased refugee resettlement to a record low level, upending decades of bipartisan support. Historically, Republican administrations have resettled high numbers of refugees in furtherance of national security, foreign policy, and humanitarian objectives.
Moderated by Niskanen’s Matthew La Corte, the panel explored the policy and politics of improving and expanding our refugee resettlement system, and how to rebuild bipartisan support for refugees.
Speakers included:
- Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute
- Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R-FL-27)
- Olivia Enos, Heritage Foundation
- Kristie De Peña, Niskanen Center
View Recording
About the Speakers
Kori Schake is the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Before joining AEI, Dr. Schake was the deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. She has had a distinguished career in government, working at the US State Department, the US Department of Defense, and the National Security Council at the White House. She has also taught at Stanford, West Point, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, National Defense University, and the University of Maryland.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen served for almost three decades as a member of Congress representing South Florida. She was the first Hispanic woman
and Cuban American to serve in Congress and the first Republican woman elected to the House from Florida. She was Chairwoman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011–2013. In Congress, she was an influential leader on key issues such as advancing democracy, international trade, national security and defense, and immigration.
Olivia Enos is the senior policy analyst in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, focuses on human rights and national security challenges in Asia. Her research spans a wide range of
subjects, including democracy and governance challenges, human trafficking and human smuggling, religious freedom, refugee issues, and other social challenges in the region. Enos briefs members of the executive branch at the State Department and the National Security Council, as well as members of Congress and their staff, on various issues in Asia.
Kristie De Peña is the vice president for policy and director of immigration at the Niskanen Center. She focuses on immigration and national security law and policy and earned her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, and a Master of Laws in national security and foreign policy from George Washington University School of Law.
De Peña consulted with the Department of State on immigration, healthcare, and security issues prior to her work at the Niskanen Center. Her work has been cited in CNBC, The New York Times, USA Today, Bloomberg, Vice, Washington Examiner, National Review, The Hill, The American Conservative, Newsweek, and Reason.