Refugees

From the U.S. House and Senate to Governors’ Mansions and State Houses, Republicans and Democrats Embrace Refugee Protection as Part of National Character  Washington, DC – Republicans and Democrats in Congress and around the country think that restoring U.S. leadership in refugee protection and resettlement is an important part of our nation’s character. The Trump administration ...

Washington, DC – This evening, reports surfaced that the President intends to propose a new record-low refugee admissions goal for Fiscal Year 2020 of 18,000, without even bothering to consult with Congress, as the law requires. The proposal amounts to a refugee ban and is an affront to people fleeing danger worldwide. It is also ...

“I’m afraid my mom and dad will die before I can touch them again” Washington, DC – “My dream is to bring my family here. I’m afraid my mom and dad will die before I can touch them again.” These are the words of Hefzur Rahman, a young man born in Myanmar, now living in a foster ...

Washington, DC – Guided by their religious and moral convictions, diverse faith-based organizations have been assisting asylum-seekers at the border and inside the United States for decades. With the Supreme Court’s decision to allow President Trump’s asylum ban to take effect, even before a final decision on the merits has been reached, organizations with front-line ...

Washington, DC – The religious community was in full action mode over August recess, because advocating for human dignity, justice, and freedom cannot wait.   The El Paso shooting, other white supremacist attacks, and the administration’s ongoing cruelty toward poor people, immigrants, children, and the infirm, underscored the importance of leadership and how much work remains to ...

Decry unconscionable, cruel attempt to annihilate U.S. resettlement program. Washington, DC – Some Trump administration officials have proposed to resettle zero refugees in the United States in Fiscal Year 2020, devastating thousands of individuals who had been waiting for their chance at safety and family reunification. This cruel, unconscionable move would end the U.S. refugee resettlement ...

Washington, DC – The crisis of Trump’s making at our southern border has lead to the deaths of migrants of all ages. Yet rather than treat individuals with human dignity and recognize their legal right to apply for asylum, the administration is prosecuting humanitarians for following our religious teachings, continuing to erase the asylum process, ...

June 17, 2019 TO: Editorial Boards and Columnists FROM: Interfaith Immigration Coalition, CWS RE: On World Refugee Day, U.S. Dismantling Refugee Protection and Abandoning Global Leadership Thursday, June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day to celebrate the contributions refugees make to our communities and press for compassionate, pro-refugee governmental policies. Amidst the largest refugee crisis in history, the ...

Capitol Hill Vigil Remembers Those Who Died in Holocaust, While RFK Awards Honor Those Working for Human Rights Today Washington, DC – Eighty years ago today, the United States refused dockage to a ship called the St. Louis carrying more than nine hundred Jewish refugees. When the U.S. turned those nine hundred men, women, and children ...

Urges Administration to Protect Vulnerable Populations Washington, DC – On Friday, CASA, twelve Central American Minors (CAM) program applicants, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and Arnold & Porter entered into a major settlement agreement with the U.S. government in S.A. v. Trump. The Interfaith Immigration Coalition prayerfully welcomes this agreement, which will reunite some families divided ...