The Refugee Act of 1980 – a bipartisan legislation that passed unanimously through Congress – formalized the U.S. refugee resettlement system by which victims of persecution, war, and violence could begin a new life in the U.S. The bill codified the U.S. definition of a refugee and established the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to resettle refugees and support them in gaining self-sufficiency.  

Over time, Congress and federal agencies have expanded ORR services to include additional populations who have experienced persecution, conflict, trafficking, or displacement. These populations include:  

• Refugees 
• Asylees 
• Cuban and Haitian Entrants 
• Amerasians 
• Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants 
• Survivors of Human Trafficking 
• Afghan and Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees 
  
  

For more information about ORR and ORR-eligible populations, check out the links below: