Toolkit: Oppose Lowest Refugee Admissions in US History

Rapid Response Actions to Proposed Lowest Refugee Admissions Goal in U.S. History

Please share the short link: http://bit.ly/RefugeePD2021

Moral Imperative to Take Action to Decry Dismantling of Refugee Resettlement Program

Background: The administration has proposed a Presidential Determination (PD) of a new all-time historic low of 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021. Since taking office, the administration has sought to dismantle and destroy the U.S. refugee resettlement system, betraying the U.S.’s legacy as a global humanitarian leader. After setting the then-lowest refugee admissions goal of 18,000 in the program’s history last year, the Trump administration has been poised to continue on this trajectory. For nearly four decades, the annual goal has averaged 95,000 refugees.

It is critical that people prepare to rapidly respond to the administration’s decision. The current report from the State Department indicates the number could be 15,000, but is not the final Presidential Determination; by law the administration must consult Congress before setting the FY 2021 refugee admissions goal. So we still have time to put pressure on the administration to set a robust admissions goal! We are working to mobilize rapid response virtual events and social media actions, within 48 hours from when the administration announces and signs next year’s refugee admissions goal. We invite you to use this toolkit as you plan your rapid response actions!

TOP FOUR WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

Host a Rapid Response Virtual Action or Virtual Event when the Administration Announces Historic Low Refugee Admissions Goal in FY2021 2

Personal Story and Refugee Resettlement Talking Points 5

Proposed Refugee Admissions Goal Talking Points 5

General Refugee Resettlement Talking Points 7

Amplify Your Message on Social Media 8

Write Letters to the Editor for Your Local Media Outlets 9

Sample Op-Ed (lengthier opinion piece) 10

URGENT CALLS NEEDED: Stop the Administration from Setting Historic Low Refugee Admissions Goal 11

Host a Rapid Response Virtual Action or Virtual Event when the Administration Announces Historic Low Refugee Admissions Goal in FY2021

Virtual events, online press conferences, and digital actions all make a difference and keep people safe during COVID-19

We invite all partners to organize digital actions, a virtual online event or virtual press conference within 24-48 hours after the administration announces the refugee admissions goal for Fiscal Year 2021. We must escalate public pressure on elected officials so that they will hold the administration accountable to saving the refugee resettlement program. When online actions can multiply across the country, it will send a powerful message to the Trump administration, to Congress and to voters that welcoming refugees is a moral issue that is important to the broader public, people of faith, and community partners.

Why Rapid Response? In order to garner attention to the issue, it’s important to react as quickly as possible, so that the timeliness of the issue does not fade and stays in the eye of the media and the general public. If you plan the same event a week after the announcement, it may still be an important activity, but likely won’t gain the same attention as doing an activity immediately.

Recommended Speakers: It’s always most important to highlight the voices of refugees themselves and ensure their stories are being told. Invite other influential sectors such as faith leaders, business leaders, veterans, elected officials and other community leaders or stakeholders who have strong ties to the refugee community. When doing online events, consider inviting your Representative, Senator or other national leaders with name recognition in your network.

Steps to a successful press conference, digital action or virtual event:

Coordinate an online event with faith leaders, immigrants’ rights groups, refugee resettlement agencies, refugee leaders, community members, and when possible local elected leaders.
Start preparing the coordination with partners with the understanding that the event will take place 24-48 hours after the announcement on the refugee admissions goal.
Identify core leaders and speakers, including refugees to help plan and speak at the online event.
Agree on messaging and talking points.
Consider inviting officials such as Representatives, Senators, City Council Members, the Mayor, etc.
Be clear about your goals, what you want to accomplish, and how many people you hope will attend.
Identify the best platform for virtual events, who will coordinate the technology, how registration will work. Consider broadcasting online virtual events via social media platforms such as Facebook live.
Identify which partners and speakers ahead of time by having a preparation call or assuring everyone knows their roles ahead of time.
Prepare speakers before the event with specific talking points and ensure they know the agenda and their time limits.
Consider inviting the local press to your virtual event, the best times for media are between 10 AM and 1 PM- see media materials below.
Promote the event through social media, public service announcements, flyers, websites, and congregational e-bulletins.
Coordinate simultaneous digital actions with partner organizations highlighting tweeting your @Senator @Representative, local elected officials or tagging them on other social media platforms- See below for additional social media sample posts.
Invite the media by issuing a media advisory 1-2 days before your event, and following up with a press release right after the event.
Invite participants to write and call Congress, and to sign up for further actions.
Ensure that all constituents have the necessary resources for voter engagement and election protection- see below.

#Pray4Refugees

Faith traditions can also offer prayers for refugees to show the solidarity of the faith community with refugees and to highlight the importance of the resettlement program through the power of prayer. Communities of faith can join in a variety of ways:

Post written prayers for refugees on social media and faith based blogs, newsletters, bulletins, websites, etc. using #Pray4Refugees
Ask your regional conference body or denomination to offer prayers in their weekly services.
Invite a refugee to speak at an onliner worship service, vigil, or special event.
Connect with your local refugee resettlement agency and invite them to participate.
Consider inviting an elected officials or other well known members of your community to be part of the #Pray4Refugees effort.
Post personal videos on social media stating why your faith community is praying for refugees and why Congress must hold the administration accountable to welcoming refugees.
Invite refugees to be part of the video to tell their stories.
Hold prayer services in virtual spaces to honor the contributions of refugees in your community and pray for those who are stuck waiting in refugee camps.
Connect with local faith leaders who are former refugees and make sure they have an opportunity to be part of any events, prayer services or social media posts.

Civic Engagement and Get Out the Vote

Non-profit organizations can engage people in non-partisan 501c3 friendly voter engagement activities.
Voting is one way concerned citizens can make their voice heard, at the ballot box.
Make sure all naturalized refugees who are New Americans are educated about how to exercise their right to votes. Register to vote online here (registration deadlines vary state by state).
Register to vote or check score cards on refugee issues for Representatives and Senators at Voice for Refuge https://www.voiceforrefuge.org/.
Learn more about non profit civic engagement activities with refugee agencies and/or faith communities including early voting and vote by mail from Church World Service civic engagement toolkit.
View this We Are All America training series on mobilizing the refugee vote.
Find more resources about election protection here: https://866ourvote.org/resources/.

*** SAMPLE MEDIA ADVISORY***

(SENT TO PRESS 1-2 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT AND THE MORNING OF THE EVENT)

Date of Event, Time, Registration

As Trump Turns Slashes the Refugee Resettlement Program Again, (Faith/Human Rights Groups) Demand Congress Act, Take Values to Ballot Box

(Online action/ press conference) in (Name of Town) to Urge the Administration to Admit 95,000 Refugees

Your City Name, State Abbreviation – (City/Town Name) (Organization/Congregation) will host (online event type or press conference) to protest the administration’s destruction of the U.S. refugee resettlement program and asylum system.

The Trump administration has moved to decimate the life-saving refugee resettlement program–proposing a tragically low refugee admissions goal of 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021, an all-time low.

Faith leaders, refugee agencies, and community partners are demanding that Congress stop these attacks on vulnerable people seeking safety and return refugee resettlement to historic norms. They will be joined by XX (list other special guests, especially clergy or elected officials). Leaders are calling on community members to bring values of welcoming refugees to the ballot box this November.

WHAT: Event type with faith and community leaders to welcome refugees

WHERE: Registration of event

WHEN: Date and time of event

SPEAKERS: List of all speakers and their titles

###

*** SAMPLE MEDIA RELEASE***

(SEND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ONLINE EVENT OR VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE)

(THIS TEMPLATE CAN ALSO BE USED FOR GENERAL PRESS RELEASE/ ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT)

As Trump Turns Slashes the Refugee Resettlement Program Again, (Faith/Human Rights Groups) Demand Congress Act, Take Values to Ballot Box

(Online action/ press conference) in (Name of Town) to Urge the Administration to Admit 95,000 Refugees

The Trump administration has moved to decimate the life-saving refugee resettlement program–proposing a tragically low refugee admissions goal of 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021, an all-time low.

(INSERT 2-3 quotes from your different speakers here, it is often helpful to gather quotes before the event so the release can be sent out immediately after)

(Add links to FB live video, zoom link recording and/ or any relevant videos)

###

Personal Story and Refugee Resettlement Talking Points

Refugee Leaders: Take it from someone who has been in their shoes.

My name is [Your Name], and I’m [career, family, etc.] I came to the United States as a refugee from [country] [time] ago. My family and I were forced to leave everything behind after [story].
Today, I reflect on my journey and am so grateful to the United States and my new community for giving me another chance at life.
As with many refugees, I would have preferred to remain in my homeland. However, [share why you needed to move, and that the journey was difficult and long]. After experiencing such traumas, I faced other challenges while resettlement, such as [name a few challenges]. What made the biggest difference in overcoming these hardships has been the welcome received when I joined my new community. [Name ways you were welcomed and how that made you feel.]

As we face the worst refugee crisis in history, resettlement is a life-saving program for the most vulnerable.

Worldwide, there are reportedly over 79.5 million displaced people, 29.6 million of which are refugees and half of whom are children.
Fewer than 1% of refugees are generally resettled to a third country.

The U.S. has cut refugee admissions by more than 80%, setting a new historic low.

Since the program’s inception, the U.S. has set an average annual refugee admissions goal of 95,000 and resettled an average of 80,000 refugees per year, until this administration.
Due to reduced admissions, refugees approved for resettlement years ago are languishing in camps and urban situations, still waiting for safety and reunification with loved ones.
This retreat contradicts and undermines the American values of compassion, welcome, and resilience.

I view America as a beacon of hope.

As someone who understands the struggles of refugees firsthand, I am disheartened to see that my beloved new home is denying that same opportunity to others facing similarly dangerous situations.
The U.S. is a country where anyone should be able to pursue the American Dream and live in safety.

Faith communities built refugee resettlement in the United States.

Religious communities built the U.S. refugee resettlement program, even before the government was involved. In the aftermath of World War II and beyond, churches, synagogues, and other faith communities have helped resettle millions of refugees, embodying the scriptural call to welcome.
Volunteers, community groups, and religious congregations across the U.S. continue to stand in partnership to help refugees of all faiths find safety and start their lives anew.

Proposed Refugee Admissions Goal Talking Points

Background: After again foregoing the requirement to consult with Congress on the annual refugee admission goal by the end of the fiscal year, the State Department released its FY21 report to Congress near midnight on Wednesday, September 30. The report indicates that the Administration plans to slash refugee admissions once again, lowering the PD for FY2021 to 15,000.

The administration has abdicated U.S. leadership in refugee resettlement, proposing the lowest refugee admissions goal in the USRAP’s 40-year history, at just 15,000 for FY 2021.

U.S. law requires the administration to consult with Congress before setting the refugee admissions goal. The administration has violated U.S. law by failing to hold meaningful consultations with Congress by September 30, 2020.
To be clear, this report to Congress is NOT an officially signed refugee admissions goal. As a result, the resettlement program has ground to a halt, until an admissions goal for FY21 is signed. Until the administration consults with Congress and sets a refugee determination, no refugees may be resettled in the United States.
Each day that resettlement is suspended means more of the world’s most vulnerable will remain in harm’s way and separated from their families—all as the world faces an historic high number of displaced people.
The administration’s proposal also includes allocations based on populations of specific concern, not geographic need or vulnerability. It is paramount that the United States resume accepting UNHCR referrals, based on vulnerability, and that the U.S. allocations are flexible to actually meet the FY 2021 admissions goal. (In FY 2020, the Iraqi P2 (see twitter thread on how this harms U.S mission) and Central American categories were nowhere near achieved – even without COVID). Here are the FY 2020 arrivals by allocation (as of September 25, 2020):
- Religious persecution: 4,617 (out of 5,000)
- Iraqi P2: 123 (out of 4,000)
- Central Americans: 575 (out of 1,500)
- Other: 5,577 (out of 7,500)
- Total: 10,892 (out of 18,000) (note that a total of 11,814 refugees for FY 2020 thru 9/30/2020)
It is critical that Congress holds the administration accountable to urgently hold meaningful consultations, substantially increase the proposed refugee admissions goal in line with historic norms, and sign an official Presidential Determination as soon as possible.

Our country can – and should – safely resettle more refugees and reunite families.

Refugees are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. During the COVID-19 crisis, refugees are working on the frontlines and in essential jobs, including 176,000 working in health care and 175,000 in the food supply chain.
More than 46,000 refugee workers work in food processing, including more than 9,300 butchers and meat processing workers. More than 31,000 work in grocery stores and supermarkets, including 2,400 shelf stockers and 2,100 freight and stock movers. Meanwhile, more than 77,500 refugee workers work in restaurants and food service establishments, including 14,000 cooks.
Per CDC guidelines, all international travelers – including refugees – must undergo thorough medical checks for COVID-like symptoms prior to entering the U.S., and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

The United States can – and should – welcome refugees and asylum seekers, which we have done throughout the resettlement program’s 40-year history.

For nearly 40 years, the United States has been able to welcome both refugees and asylum seekers. The two programs work in tandem—increased refugee arrivals do not detract resources from the asylum program and vice versa.
The United States can—and has—maintained high levels of refugee resettlement while processing large numbers of asylum seekers. One key example of this is in the 1980s, during which the United States admitted more than five times the number refugees and asylees that we admitted in 2018.
In 1980, at the height of the Salvadoran and Guatemalan humanitarian crises, the U.S. welcomed 208,220 refugees and asylees, and throughout the 1980s, the United States welcomed an average of 102,017 refugees and asylees per year. The average asylum grant rate in the 1980s was 16%.
In 2018, the U.S. welcomed only 36,691 refugees and asylees: 14,200 individuals were granted asylum, with a 5% grant rate, and 22,491 refugees were resettled. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has welcomed an average of only 58,487 refugees and asylees per year.
The United States has the capacity and resources to support robust resettlement and asylum protections. The administration can and should properly staff both U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Refugee Corps and the Asylum Division, using funds already allocated, to address the backlog.
The protection offered by the United States is not a zero-sum game; one program need not come at the expense of the other.
The Trump administration has exacerbated the asylum backlog and is now blocking all asylum seekers from accessing protection in the United States. There is no validity in the claim that USCIS does not have the capacity to interview or screen refugees, especially given the administration’s efforts to end access to asylum.
RCUSA’s factsheet on refugee and asylum protections is available here.

There is strong bipartisan support for returning resettlement to historic norms, as well as for a robust and meaningful consultation between the administration and Congress.

Last year’s two bipartisan letters from Senators, led by Senators Lankford and Coons, and Representatives, led by the bipartisan Congressional Refugee Caucus, highlight the support among both parties for refugee resettlement, as it saves lives, promotes U.S. foreign policy interests, and supports economic growth.
Refugee resettlement is a strong bipartisan tradition that reflects American values. Presidents of both parties have ensured that America leads in times of crisis. Successive presidents have used refugee admissions to support those who seek religious and political liberty and reject oppression antithetical to American values. Republicans and Democrats have raised refugee admissions for populations persecuted for being U.S. allies, and those fleeing communist uprisings, religious persecution and tyranny in countries like Vietnam, Cuba, the former Soviet Union, Kosovo, Myanmar, and Iran.
In 2018, then-Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein expressed their concern that they were not given a meaningful opportunity to consult on the PD and had sent a letter in August 2018 to Secretaries Pompeo, Azar, and Nielsen asking for cooperation scheduling the Consultations. On September 20th, 2018, then-Chairman Goodlatte called on the administration to consult Congress immediately regarding the PD for the coming year as required by law. The administration still failed to comply with this important statutory requirement.

General Refugee Resettlement Talking Points

As we face the worst refugee crisis in history, resettlement is a life-saving program for the most vulnerable.

Worldwide, there are reportedly over 79.5 million displaced people, 29.6 million of which are refugees and half of whom are children.
Fewer than 1% of refugees are generally resettled to a third country.

The U.S. has cut refugee admissions by 80%, setting a new historic low.

Since the program’s inception, the U.S. has set an average annual refugee admissions goal of 95,000 and resettled an average of 80,000 refugees per year, until this administration.
Due to reduced admissions, refugees approved for resettlement years ago are languishing in camps and urban situations, still waiting for safety and reunification with loved ones.
This retreat contradicts and undermines the American values of compassion, welcome, and resilience.

Resettlement is a refugee’s last option for safety.

Resettlement is the last resort when refugees cannot safely return to their home countries and cannot safely remain in the countries to which they initially fled.
To be considered for resettlement, a refugee must first receive a refugee status determination by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) by proving they are fleeing persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or social group membership.
Fewer than 1% of the world’s refugees are ever resettled. If a refugee is selected for resettlement in the United States, (s)he will then undergo the most extensive security screening and vetting processes of any traveler to come to the United States. This includes extensive health screening.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is secure.

Resettlement is the most difficult way to enter the U.S., and refugees are the most thoroughly vetted individuals in the U.S.
Vetting includes biometric and biographic checks; interagency intelligence sharing; screenings against multiple domestic and international terrorist and criminal databases; background investigations by the FBI, Department of Defense, State Department, and National Counterterrorism Center; and in-person interviews by Homeland Security officers.

Refugees give back to their new communities.

Refugees are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. During the COVID-19 crisis, refugees are working on the frontlines and in essential jobs, including 176,000 working in health care and 175,000 in the food supply chain.
13% of refugees were entrepreneurs in 2015 and 40% of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by refugees, immigrants or their children.
Over a 20-year period, refugees contribute, on average, $21,000 more in taxes than the initial investment to resettle them. In 2015, refugees contributed $21 billion in U.S. taxes.

Resettlement is critical to U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.

Resettlement must be a part of a comprehensive strategy to respond to refugee crises, promote regional stability, strengthen U.S. national security, and provide a strong counter-weight to the negative narratives of anti-American, international organizations.
Resettlement is a complementary tool to humanitarian assistance, providing concrete support to allies including Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Kenya and other countries hosting millions of refugees. This support, in turn, encourages other countries to continue taking in refugees and provide humanitarian support.
National security experts have repeatedly said that refugee resettlement advances our national security interests and contributes to keeping our troops safe around the world. Abdicating our role as a global leader in resettlement neglects these interests and moral responsibilities.

Amplify Your Message on Social Media

An easy way to share your support of refugees is to make posts on social media. You can use the sample posts below, or make your own based on the above talking points, to ask your Members of Congress, the administration, and your local elected officials to welcome refugees. Its always important to utilize social media images, for unbranded graphics, please click here.

Make sure to include the twitter handle of your Representative and Senators when possible. A list of twitter handles for Members of Congress is available here.

Here are sample posts:

[.@POTUS/@SecPompeo] you must commit to #Welcome95k. With no refugee admissions goal, refugees fleeing religious persecution remain in harm’s way. #WeAreWelcomers
[.@member of Congress] @POTUS has failed to consult Congress to set a refugee admissions goal on time. This is unacceptable. With no refugee admissions goal, refugees fleeing religious persecution remain in harm’s way. Tell this administration that we must #Welcome95k #WeAreWelcomers
[.@local elected official] show @POTUS that #WeAreWelcomers and sign on to welcomingrefugees2021.org and ensure that we WILL #Welcome95k
.[@memberofcongress]: America must remain a country of welcome. Please do your part to see that the administration commits to resettling 95,000 refugees in FY 2021.#Welcome95k #WeAreWelcomers
[.@memberofcongress]: Refugee resettlement is a core American legacy that allows people to rebuild their lives. My community welcomes refugees, and I urge you to reflect the best of our nation by supporting refugee resettlement. #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k
[.@memberofcongress]: Thousands of refugee families are being torn apart because America has closed its doors to them. Please show your support for refugee resettlement. #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k
.[@memberofcongress]: 471 faith leaders voice their support for refugee resettlement and welcoming no fewer than 95k refugees in FY21 http://bit.ly/FY21FaithPDLetter #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k
.@SecPompeo welcoming fewer than 95k refugees in FY21 is an abdication of US leadership in the face of the worst displacement crisis in history #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k
.@SecPompeo resettling refugees is a critical component of US foreign policy; we were proud of our leadership in this space and are ready to #Welcome95k
.@SecPompeo numerous organizations agree that welcoming refugees is integral to who we are as Americans https://bit.ly/33iHF9a #Welcome95k #WeAreWelcomers
.@WhiteHouse it is unacceptable for us to admit any fewer than 95k refugees in FY21; we are ready to welcome #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k
.@WhiteHouse: More than 500 state and local officials have voiced their support for refugee resettlement in their communities https://welcomingrefugees2021.org/ #WeAreWelcomers #Welcome95k

Write Letters to the Editor for Your Local Media Outlets

One of the best ways to make your voice heard is by writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of your local paper, for publication. Local outlets are especially useful for making your voice heard to officials at the federal, state, and local levels. These efforts are especially needed to show that your community welcomes, and will continue to welcome refugees despite the administration’s efforts to end resettlement. See below for samples that you can use to get started. For instructions on how to submit a Letter to the Editor to your local paper, click here.

Below are sample letters pulse one lengthier “op-ed” column. Please tailor these to your own particular beliefs. Contact media@interfaithimmigration.org for help!

Sample LTE 1

I remember the first time I met a refugee family in [city/state]. {Insert personal story} Despite the horrors they fled, they remained hopeful. They wanted to give back to their adopted home and build a better future here for their children.

For decades refugees have enriched our city and nation in amazing ways. They have become our friends and neighbors, opening businesses, volunteering, engaging with local government and so much more. Yet the Trump administration continues to deny refugees the opportunity to restart in the United States. It has cut the numbers of refugees we welcome here by more than 80%.

We cannot sit back and allow this to happen. By definition, refugees are some of the world’s most vulnerable people– most of them women and children. I believe our country is big enough and strong enough to provide them a chance to live their lives in safety.

Sample LTE 2

Welcoming persecuted people and helping them settle into our country is a fundamental American value, and a tenet of my faith as an INSERT RELIGION. The refugee resettlement program in the United States was created after we stood by and watched Nazis murder Jews and other people. We vowed to never again turn our backs on the world’s vulnerable men, women, and children.

While the Trump administration has effectively canceled the U.S. refugee resettlement program, there are many Americans like me who think this is a tragedy and we need to recommit to welcoming at least 95,000 refugees per year.

Congress must hold the administration accountable for its destruction of our refugee resettlement program. I urge NAME OF MEMBER OF CONGRESS to be a vocal champion for OUR STATE’S refugees and our values.

Sample LTE 3

“When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” Matthew 25:40

Sometimes we have a hard time figuring out what love looks like in practice. Particularly those in a faith tradition that calls us into lives of humility, devotion and service to an idea larger than ourselves. I fear that the Trump administration has lost its way, cutting our commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable with an 80% reduction in the number of refugees we “resettle” in the United States.

The origins of the U.S. refugee resettlement program we have today stem from World War II. As humanity picked up the pieces after the Holocaust, the international community vowed to do more to help people targeted by evil actors for their religion, race, or other traits. The U.S. created a refugee resettlement program that is still in operation today, though at a greatly reduced level under Trump.

I am ashamed that our country is repeating the mistakes of the past, keeping vulnerable men, women, and children in harm’s way. I urge Congress and the administration to end this tragedy and commit to resettling 95,000 refugees in the U.S. every year, our historic average.

Sample LTE 4

Today, nearly 80 million people around the world are displaced from their homes, including 29.6 million who are designated refugees–and in need of a safe country to restart their lives. These are the largest numbers of vulnerable people in recorded history. Estimates indicate that a person is displaced from their home every twenty minutes. However, when global need is at its highest, the Trump administration has quickly reversed our nation’s long history as a world leader in refugee protection and resettlement. The administration has decimated the U.S. asylum system, and is now considering admitting only 15,000 refugees in the coming year – turning our backs on the values of compassion and welcome we claim to represent. This is unacceptable. We have a moral responsibility to welcome refugees – at our doorstep and abroad. I urge Congress to do everything in its power to reverse this deadly and immoral trend.

Sample Op-Ed (lengthier opinion piece)

“When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” Matthew 25:40

Since its origins, the U.S. refugee resettlement program has represented a bold, idealistic vision of what love and welcome looks like in practice: international agencies, national governments, and non-profit organizations all collaborating to ensure that those who are fleeing war, persecution, disaster, or any number of atrocities can be protected and live lives of dignity.

In the United States, communities of faith have been crucial actors in the process of welcoming refugees to our country.

Christian, Muslim and Jewish agencies partner with local groups, government offices and secular organizations to provide immediate support to refugees as soon as they land in our airports or arrive at our borders.

Local churches, mosques and temples provide resources extending from the physical to the spiritual, creating an environment where refugees feel welcome and free to practice their beliefs in the same way all Americans do.

Devout followers who seek to take seriously the Torah’s command to care for the stranger, the call in the Qu’ran to help those in difficulty, or the words of Jesus that “whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” have been given a direct path to do so with a robust refugee program.

Now, that program is under attack. In addition to repeated attempts to close our borders to those seeking asylum, the Trump administration’s latest proposal to cut the number of refugee admissions to 15,000 will have catastrophic consequences for refugees around the world waiting to be resettled, and for agencies providing vital services to refugees once they arrive in our country.

As communities of faith, this would be a devastating loss, and one that should call us to action. The call to welcome the foreigner is core to what so many of us believe; our faith calls us to care for those who are most marginalized, and destroying the refugee resettlement system will only create further suffering among the very people we are called to love.

Sometimes love feels difficult in practice. Other times it is glaringly obvious. We cannot let a policy fuelled by hate dictate who and how we are supposed to love.

To stand with our refugee brothers and sisters, we can do several things. We can share the message that we will not let hate drive out our love for refugees with our congregations and communities. We can support social services organizations in our area who are serving refugees and are in need of funds, volunteers, etc. INSERT NAME OF ONE OR TWO IF YOU KNOW THEM.

Finally, we can call Congress and urge them to keep the Trump administration from further turning our country’s back on the world’s refugees. To call Congress, dial (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to your state’s two senators and your one House representative. Tell them your faith and morals values call on you to welcome the stranger and help the persecuted. Urge them to act out this value by ensuring the U.S. resettle at least 95,000 refugees every year.

URGENT CALLS NEEDED: Stop the Administration from Setting Historic Low Refugee Admissions Goal

On September 30th, just before midnight, the administration sent a report to Congress with a proposed Presidential Determination (PD) of a new all-time historic low of 15,000. As the first month of the Fiscal Year, Trump has STILL failed to sign a refugee admissions goal for FY 2021, grinding the resettlement program to an indefinite halt. The administration has also failed to consult with Congress, as required by U.S. law, about the refugee admissions goal, also known as the “Presidential Determination” (PD), before the start of FY 2021.

Since taking office, the administration has sought to dismantle and destroy the U.S. refugee resettlement system, betraying the U.S.’s legacy as a global humanitarian leader. After setting the lowest refugee admissions goal of 18,000 in the program’s history last year, the Trump administration has been poised to continue on this trajectory. For nearly four decades, the annual goal has averaged 95,000 refugees. Today, there are 29.6 million refugees worldwide — but refugees are more than just a global figure; they are families torn apart, children who have witnessed profound violence and people seeking a chance to rebuild their lives and raise a family in safety.

Our communities have continued to declare that they are willing and ready to continue welcoming refugees. Join us by contacting your Members of Congress to decry the administration’s abdication of its moral and legal obligations and hold the administration accountable to rebuilding the refugee resettlement program by setting the FY 2021 admissions goal at 95,000.

Contact Your 2 Senators and 1 Representative Today

Click here to contact your 2 Senators and 1 Representative – and make sure to insert the name of your city or town in the first line!

Sample Email/Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I urge you to protect the refugee resettlement program. I am outraged that President Trump is proposing a new historic low refugee admissions goal of 15,000 and has failed to conduct meaningful consultations, as required by U.S. law, and has NOT set the refugee admissions goal for Fiscal Year 2021. In the last three years, the administration has cut refugee resettlement by more than 80%, from the historic average goal of 95,000 to just 18,000 – an all-time low. Our country can – and should – safely resettle more refugees and reunite more families. Refugees have contributed greatly to America in ordinary times, and have continued to show up for their new communities during the COVID-19 crisis, with many on the frontlines, including 176,000 serving as healthcare workers and 175,000 working in the food supply chain. Please decry the administration’s proposed historic low PD of 15,000 and abdication of its moral and legal obligations – and do everything in your power to see that the administration meaningfully consults with Congress and sets a robust refugee admissions goal at 95,000 (the historic average). My community welcomes refugees, and I urge you to reflect the best of our nation by supporting refugee resettlement.”