UPDATE: This letter has been sent to Secretary Rubio with 40+ Members of Congress urging the restart of the refugee resettlement program. Thank you for your advocacy! Check out more CWS Action Alerts here.
Despite multiple court orders, the Trump administration’s refugee ban and funding freeze remain largely in place. Thousands of refugees have been left stranded abroad, often in dangerous conditions without basic support. Refugees who were recently resettled across the United States – those who finally found a safe place to call home after years of lengthy screening and vetting – are at risk of extreme economic insecurity and homelessness. Many resettlement agencies have received little or in many cases no reimbursement from the federal government for their ongoing services to refugees in need.
You can make a difference today. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari is leading a letter urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to restore the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and allow resettlement agencies like Church World Service to continue providing life-saving services to refugees.
Take action by urging your Member of Congress to join Rep. Ansari’s letter and remind the Trump administration that the refugee resettlement program makes our country stronger, safer, and more prosperous.
EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
On the right-hand side, you can send an email to your Member of Congress.
Sample Email: “My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge your office to join a Dear Colleague letter led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Arizona) that urges Secretary Rubio to fully restore refugee resettlement. The letter calls on the Trump administration to immediately take the following steps:
1) Ensure all refugees whose flights were cancelled on January 20 are rebooked for travel;
2) Fully reimplement and operationalize cooperative agreements with the agencies that have been providing life-saving reception services for decades; and
3) Reimburse frozen funds for core reception services to refugees who have already resettled in communities across the country.
Our community, and communities across the United States, benefit from a robust refugee resettlement program. Refugees contribute to our economy, and their ability to find safety here supports global stability and vitalization at home. We are a stronger country when we help people in need of safe harbor rebuild their lives.
It is imperative that our national leaders abide by court orders and immediately resume refugee resettlement and reimbursements for key refugee programs – not turn our backs on the world’s most vulnerable.
To join the letter, please reach out to Rep. Ansari’s office. Thank you.”
CALL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS
Use the phone tool on the right hand side to call your Member of Congress.
Sample Phone Script: “My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge you to join Rep. Ansari’s letter that urges Secretary Rubio to fully restore refugee resettlement. The letter calls on the Trump administration to rebook flights for refugees whose flights were canceled, reinstate agreements with resettlement agencies who serve refugees, and reimburse frozen funds.
[City/Town] benefits from a robust refugee resettlement program. We are a stronger country when we help people in need of safe harbor rebuild their lives. To join the letter, please reach out to Rep. Ansari’s office. Thank you.”
AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Share this message with your elected officials on social media.
Sample Posts:
.@[legislator] Keep America Welcoming. Refugee resettlement is a proud American legacy with bipartisan support.
.@[legislator] Urge the Trump administration to rescind the refugee resettlement ban and other executive actions targeting humanitarian aid and harming our asylum seeking and immigrant neighbors. #RefugeesWelcome
Additional Resources:
- CWS March Recess Advocacy Guide and Template Materials
- CWS Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt (sign up here to receive daily updates by email)
- CWS Responds to U.S. Government Status Report in Pacito v. Trump
- CWS Advocacy 101 Toolkit
- Read stories of refugees impacted by the ban