U.S. Refugee Policy Explained: History, Law & Today’s Debates

From turning away the SS St. Louis in 1939 to welcoming Vietnamese boat people, Cubans fleeing Castro, and today’s Afghan and Ukrainian allies—America’s refugee policy has been shaped by global crises, politics, and evolving humanitarian values. In this episode of American Tapestry, we trace the full history of how the U.S. responded to people in peril—and what it reveals about who we are as a nation.