The milestone met with little fanfare.
On one hand, that seems an acknowledgment of the political moment. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the policy, and polls suggest many Americans side with him.
Yet even among those who support the resettlement of Syrian refugees in America, Monday’s low-key announcement was hardly something to celebrate. Refugee and human rights advocates call it woefully insufficient given the dimensions of Syria’s tragedy.
The number is not just lower than what the US is capable of handling, they say, but also well below what many American communities are prepared to welcome.
It is an achievement, in other words, that satisfies few.
In that light, the Obama administration is treading softly, seeking to avoid the kind of anti-refugee rhetoric that bloomed when President Obama first announced the goal, some advocates say.
“We’re certainly pleased the administration has reached their goal, but at the same time it’s important to ground that in the reality that … 10,000 Syrians is a very low number compared to the need and to what others particularly in the region are doing,” says Jen Smyers, associate director for immigration and refugee policy at Church World Service (CWS), a relief and refugee assistance agency supported by Christian denominations. “When you set a low goal and then you meet it, there can only be so much fanfare – especially when you compare it to what we could be doing.”