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Dear Paulette,
Let Congress know that you are a supporter of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and urge the U.S. to maintain its commitment to welcoming refugees and asylum seekers!
Over the past several months, the U.S. government has made significant changes to programs that offer vulnerable and persecuted persons the opportunity for protection. Changes include making it more difficult for those seeking asylum to be granted protection, separating families in detention centers, and forcing asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are being heard. We are simultaneously seeing a significant reduction in the number of refugees who will be permanently resettled to the U.S.
We must urge our government to respect and maintain humanitarian protection systems, and to help those who are no longer safe in their home countries.
Over the past two years, the Trump Administration drastically reduced the number of refugees the U.S. admits each year. Last year, the U.S. resettled 22,000 refugees, the lowest number since the program began in 1980. This fiscal year, the U.S. has resettled a mere 5,000 refugees – at this pace, we will not be anywhere close to meeting the refugee admissions number of 30,000, the lowest number ever set by a President.
At the same time, the U.S. has seen a drop in the number of people being granted asylum and slowdown in processing those individual cases.
As people of faith, we know these are not just numbers: they represent family members who are separated from each other, individuals who served alongside U.S. troops overseas and are now in danger, and LGBTQ refugees who experience persecution and are in need of resettlement. Offering resettlement to such individuals is an enactment of our nation’s highest ideals of freedom and opportunity.
Contact your members of Congress today to urge them to provide oversight of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and to ensure we protect asylum seekers.
The Episcopal Church has many ways of reaching out to and supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) leads The Episcopal Church’s efforts in resettling refugees, educating and connecting with congregations who wish to offer this type of ministry, and providing resources to support communities. EMM and its various partners ensure that resettled refugees receive critical resources to start a new life: a furnished apartment, language training, employment training, cultural orientation, medical services, and more. Once refugees arrive in their new communities, they become vibrant contributors who enhance our churches, schools, and local economies.
You can donate to EMM’s work here. |
