After the Biden administration announced last week that it would keep former President Trump’s historically low refugee admissions numbers of 15,000, it received significant and apparently unexpected pushback from people of faith, refugee advocacy groups, and immigrant rights groups, who challenged President Biden for breaking his promise to refugees.
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The only way forward is for President Biden to restore the U.S. refugee resettlement program by welcoming as many refugees as possible this fiscal year, including by revising the admissions goal to the promised 62,500, and honoring his commitment to resettling 125,000 refugees in FY 2022.
There is a lot of news right now about asylum seekers, especially children, who are at the U.S./Mexico border. But this situation did not come about overnight; it has been building for years, exasperated by cruel and inhumane policies and an outdated immigration system that denies our shared humanity. In this moment, it is critical for people of faith and conscience to build awareness, work and pray for justice, and take action in solidarity with children and families seeking asylum.
More than 600 religious leaders and faith-based organizations across traditions are deeply concerned that President Biden has not yet signed a revised refugee Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year 2021, despite his promises.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to create a path to citizenship for farmworkers and people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) on Thursday. Now, the U.S. Senate has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do its job, and turn these bills into law.