Refugee deal 'dead on arrival', US expert

A prominent US anti-immigration think tank has warned a refugee resettlement deal won't last Donald Trump's first day as president.

"My sense is that when the word gets out on this, it'll be dead on arrival," Mark Krikorian, executive director of the influential Centre for Immigration Studies, told Fairfax Media on Monday, predicting a "firestorm" of opposition from anti-immigration activists.

"I don't expect any Republicans will defend it; I can't see a lot of Democrats defending it either," he said.

Mr Krikorian said Australia had 68 days to pull out of the deal before Mr Trump's inauguration on January 20.

He acknowledged the upside for Australia in the deal, but queried what was in it in for the US.

"I'm not sure why this is a good idea for the US - it's absurd. I'm not sure why we'd be taking them off your hands."