#justiceOPportunity Thursday—September 17, 2020

It’s #justiceOPpportunity Thursday, and we invite you to join us in supporting the U.S. Refugee Program. Right now, the current administration is preparing to set the goal for the number of refugees that will be allowed to be admitted to the United States for the coming fiscal year. This process is called the “Presidential Determination.”  Before setting the new refugee Presidential Determination, the President is required to consult with House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

Ask your elected officials to urge the Administration to:

• Consult with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees regarding the refugee admissions goal for 2021 before September 30, and
• Build back the refugee resettlement program by setting the goal at the historic average of 95,000 refugees allowed to be admitted in the next fiscal year.

Take Action

Either call your Senators and Representative using the Capitol Hill switchboard 202.224.3121 or (or visit: https://www.votervoice.net/JFI/campaigns/76982/respond) to use the Justice for Immigrants online message.

Sample Script:  As your constituent, I urge you to ensure that the Trump Administration meaningfully consults with Congress before September 30, 2020, concerning the annual refugee admission goal for FY 2021. I also ask you to urge the Administration to build back annual refugee admissions to the historic average of 95,000 refugees admitted per year.

As a person of faith, I strongly support welcoming refugees and the rebuilding of the refugee resettlement program. Refugees contribute greatly to our communities, particularly in the time of COVID-19, where 176,000 refugees work in the health care sector and 175,000 refugees in the food supply chain. They are valuable members of our communities.

Photo credit: www.usccb.org