Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration


The Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration is the head of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration reports to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

List of the Directors of the Bureau of Refugee Programs, 1979—1994

NameAssumed OfficeLeft OfficePresident served under
John A. Baker, Jr.August 26, 1979October 30, 1980Jimmy Carter
Frank E. LoyJune 1, 1980January 30, 1981Jimmy Carter
Richard David VineJanuary 10, 1982Sep 17, 1982Ronald Reagan
James N. Purcell, Jr.June 12, 1983September 28, 1986Ronald Reagan
Jonathan MooreMarch 5, 1987June 22, 1989Ronald Reagan
Princeton LymanSeptember 5, 1989June 15, 1992George H. W. Bush
Warren ZimmermannJune 15, 1992March 3, 1994Bill Clinton

List of the Assistant Secretaries of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, 1994—Present

NameAssumed OfficeLeft OfficePresident served under
Phyllis E. OakleySeptember 21, 1994November 7, 1997Bill Clinton
Julia V. TaftNovember 10, 1997January 19, 2001Bill Clinton
Arthur E. DeweyJanuary 30, 2002July 1, 2005George W. Bush
Ellen SauerbreyJanuary 12, 2006December 31, 2007George W. Bush
Samuel M. WittenDecember 31, 2007July 9, 2009George W. Bush
Eric P. SchwartzJuly 9, 2009October 4, 2011Barack Obama
Anne C. RichardApril 2, 2012January 20, 2017Barack Obama
Simon HenshawJanuary 20, 2017January 14, 2018Donald Trump
Carol Thompson O'Connell January 22, 2018PresentDonald Trump