Washington, DC – President Trump is required to consult with Congress by the end of this month, before determining how many refugees to resettle in the United States in Fiscal Year 2021. Over the past three years, the Trump administration has failed to follow through on its consultation duty, and cut the number of refugees invited to the U.S. by more than 80%, to historic lows. Communities and people of faith are outraged and demand a sharp reversal of this troubling trend.
Rather than allow a paltry 18,000 refugees to call the United States home next year, a commitment that the Trump administration made (and broke) in FY 2020, faith communities across traditions are demanding a goal of admitting 95,000 people who fled violence and persecution in FY 2021. This is a small fraction of the people who have been waiting in refugee camps for decades to restart their lives in a country like the U.S.
This week, 471 religious leaders and 135 faith-based organizations sent a letter to the President demanding just that. They wrote:
We are called by our sacred texts and faith principles to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner. Our congregations, synagogues, and mosques have historically played key roles in assisting refugees with housing, language, employment, and social support necessary for rapid and effective resettlement into U.S. communities. Yet, our commitment to offer refuge from violence and persecution requires our government to demonstrate the moral leadership upon which our nation was founded.
Faith leaders from organizations that help refugees enter and acclimate to their new homes in the United States continued the call for a robust FY 2021 refugee admissions goal. Like so many others who call the U.S. home, refugees are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response, making sure we have what we need to stay healthy. Around 176,000 doctors, nurses, and medical personnel in hospitals, clinics, and elder care facilities came to the United States as refugees. Another 175,000 work in vital supply chains, keeping grocery store shelves stocked and filling other essential roles.
“In times of crisis, we turn to our faith,” said Chris Palusky, President and CEO of Bethany Christian Services. “At Bethany, our faith gives us a heart for welcoming and supporting those who are persecuted and vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world more fragile, especially for children and families who are escaping violence and persecution. Let’s not turn our backs on them. We are able to assist thousands more refugees, especially children, in the United States – the ones for whom resettlement is literally their last chance at survival. A second chance means everything for a child. For example, 100% of the unaccompanied refugee minors resettled by Bethany attend college or find a job upon graduating from high school. Without resettlement, these youth with bright futures would be left to languish in unsafe conditions. Worst of all, they would have no hope. As we face the challenges of our own vulnerability, we must not fail to protect those at far greater risk.”
“As we approach the Jewish New Year, it is time to think about the year that has just passed and turn our attention to what lies before us,” said Naomi Steinberg, Vice President for Policy and Advocacy for HIAS. “This solemn period of reflection can serve as a reminder about our obligation to welcome the stranger and our responsibility to take action, especially now, as dramatic cuts to the U.S. refugee resettlement program have left refugee families divided and in harm’s way. Now is the time to speak out with communities of all faiths to show our shared unequivocal support for rebuilding the U.S. refugee resettlement program, starting with the administration establishing the FY21 refugee admissions target at 95,000, the historic average.”
Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO of Church World Service said “This letter with the signatures of over 471 religious leaders and 135 faith-based organizations who have supported, welcomed, or volunteered to help refugees is a testament to a proud American tradition. In fact, refugee resettlement began in the United States by religious congregations living out their call to welcome refugees. The leadership of the U.S. faith community in refugee resettlement has created a public-private partnership of which all Americans can be proud. There are countless other congregations and community groups waiting to live out their faith and their values by welcoming our refugee siblings. By shutting the door to refugees, President Trump and his administration are preventing faith communities from living out their sacred traditions and putting vulnerable lives in danger.”
“Five term Iowa Republican Governor Robert Ray, a Disciples of Christ elder who encouraged resettlement of thousands of refugees in Iowa years ago, well demonstrated the bipartisan and deeply faithful nature of refugee resettlement as he often urged congregations around the country to ‘Don’t just say that you believe in Jesus, SHOW ME by welcoming refugees!’ We’re deeply proud of this heritage of faith–and decades later, our spiritual calling to open arms and neighborhoods to families needing protection remains constant and hopeful. This letter shouts out our readiness to welcome 95,000 refugees annually, for the good of our congregations and communities,” reminded Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea of Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries.
Read the full letter here: http://bit.ly/FY21FaithPDLetter.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
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