URGENT: Urge Congress to Invest in Our Communities’ Capacity to Welcome Refugees

Right now, Congress is preparing funding bills that would invest in the U.S. refugee resettlement program for Fiscal Year 2023 and equip our communities with the resources they need to help refugees integrate and thrive. The need for long-term protections for refugees has never been greater. As a result of persecution and violence, the world is facing record figures of more than 84 million individuals forcibly removed from their homes, including more than 31 million refugees and 1.5 million in need of resettlement. Congressional investments are critical to the long-term integration and economic success of new Americans, including individuals and families who are rebuilding lives after surviving persecution, torture, trauma, and trafficking.

Join us in calling on Members of Congress to support robust funding for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to provide humanitarian assistance overseas, process refugees to the United States, and serve refugees, Afghan evacuees, asylees, and other displaced populations as we welcome our new neighbors. We also recognize that tens of thousands of U.S.-affiliated and at-risk Afghans have been welcomed into the United States via “humanitarian parole,” which is a temporary immigration status typically only granted for 1 or 2 years to provide safety for people under threat. This temporary status thrusts Afghans arriving with humanitarian parole into legal uncertainty for the future since it does not provide a pathway to permanent status. As part of any funding bill or other must-pass legislation, Congress should attach an Afghan Adjustment Act in the final legislation to give Afghan arrivals the chance to apply to become lawful permanent residents.

CONTACT YOUR 2 SENATORS AND 1 REPRESENTATIVE TODAY
On the right-hand side, click “Send Email” or “Call Me” to contact your 2 Senators and 1 Representative.
Be sure to insert personalized information in the sample script brackets.

Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [city, state], and [as a person of faith/refugee/community member], I urge you to provide robust funding for the U.S. resettlement program and to equip my community with the resources it needs to help refugees from all countries and Afghan evacuees integrate and thrive. As you consider and negotiate funding for the fiscal year 2023, I call on you to demonstrate bold leadership in expanding our nation’s capacity to welcome.

The need for long-term protections for refugees has never been greater. As a result of persecution and violence, the world is facing record figures of more than 84 million individuals forcibly removed from their homes, including more than 31 million refugees and 1.5 million in need of resettlement. Congressional investments are critical to the long-term integration and economic success of new Americans, including individuals and families who are rebuilding lives after surviving persecution, torture, trauma, and trafficking. I urge to support robust funding for refugee-related accounts, including:

$9.99 billion for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) account to fund the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) which helps states and local communities welcome and support refugees on their path to self-sufficiency, and other integration services for the high numbers of Afghans departing safe havens over the next three months.
$2 billion for the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account to address not only our Afghanistan response but also other emerging crises. ERMA investments provide life-sustaining assistance to refugees, including food, shelter, health care, and education.
$5.2 billion for the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) and $5.27 billion for the International Disaster Assistance (IDA) accounts, which would support the domestic reception and placement (R&P) program, administered by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) within the Department of State, as well as overseas humanitarian assistance to respond to the unprecedented displacement crisis.
$765 million for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the Department of Homeland Security to address the refugee and asylum backlogs – and to help process parole renewals and adjustment applications.

I further urge you to include 25,000 Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) in the appropriations bills and attach an Afghan Adjustment Act with the next must-pass legislation. An Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans arriving with humanitarian parole who were evacuated from Afghanistan to have a pathway to permanent status. This is urgent, as humanitarian parole is a temporary allowance to enter and remain in the United States. My community welcomes refugees and I urge you to do the same.”

Amplify on Social Media: Click here for a digital toolkit with graphics. Below are sample posts:

It’s a fact: refugees greatly contribute to the communities that welcome them! It’s time to invest in the U.S. refugee resettlement program in FY23 and help our refugee neighbors integrate and thrive in their new communities. #RefugeesWelcome
The U.S. remains a country of welcome. We must expand the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to provide humanitarian assistance overseas, process refugees to the U.S. and serve all displaced populations as they arrive in their new communities. #RefugeesWelcome
As the number of people displaced around the world exceeds 84 million, the need for long-term protections for refugees has never been greater. It’s time to expand our capacity to welcome and help our refugee neighbors thrive! #RefugeesWelcome

FY23 Appropriations Resources:

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