From Church World Service
As people across the United States are donating to help Syrian refugees abroad and volunteering to welcome refugees in their communities, a number of governors, including Gov. Baker, recently announced that they want to stop their states from resettling Syrian refugees. We feel this is morally reprehensible and goes against everything for which the United States stands. Some members of Congress have even introduced legislation that would stop refugee resettlement altogether. It is critical that public officials hear from their constituents NOW as decisions are being made that will drastically impact the lives of Syrian refugees and refugee resettlement in the United States.
Please take action TODAY:
Call our Representative and Senators : 1-866-961-4293
AND call our Governor: (617) 725-4005 / (413) 784-1200 / (202) 624-7713
As people across the United States are donating to help Syrian refugees abroad and volunteering to welcome refugees in their communities, a number of governors, including Gov. Baker, recently announced that they want to stop their states from resettling Syrian refugees. We feel this is morally reprehensible and goes against everything for which the United States stands. Some members of Congress have even introduced legislation that would stop refugee resettlement altogether. It is critical that public officials hear from their constituents NOW as decisions are being made that will drastically impact the lives of Syrian refugees and refugee resettlement in the United States.Please take action TODAY:
Call our Representative and Senators : 1-866-961-4293
AND call our Governor: (617) 725-4005 / (413) 784-1200 / (202) 624-7713
When you call, tell the receptionist that as a constituent, you want to help WELCOME Syrian refugees and that you're against the calls of some governors to reject Syrian refugees.
Ex: “I’m a constituent from [City] and I support the resettlement of Syrian refugees. I urge the Senator / Representative / Governor to represent me and other constituents who seek to welcome Syrian refugees.”
Here are some helpful points that you may want to mention, but the most important point is your story and why your community wants to welcome Syrian refugees!
- The U.S. government handpicks the refugees who resettle here, and refugees are the most thoroughly vetted people to come to the United States.
- All refugees resettled in the United States undergo rigorous security screenings by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Department of Defense and multiple intelligence agencies, including biometric checks, forensic testing, medical screenings and in-person interviews.
- This is not an either/or situation. The United States can continue to welcome refugees while also continuing to ensure national security. We must do both.
“.@REPRESENTATIVE, Our community is ready to welcome #Syrian #refugees. #RefugeesWelcome #AmericaWelcomes!"
Follow @RCUSA_DC on Twitter and “like” Refugee Council USA on Facebook for up-to-date alerts.
- Syrian refugees are fleeing exactly the kind of terror which unfolded on the streets of Paris. They have been confronted by violence just like this for almost five years. They do not bring terror with them. Rather, they are fleeing it.
- The United States handpicks the refugees who resettle here, and they go through multiple layers of security checks, making them the most thoroughly vetted group of people who come to the United States. Security screenings are rigorous and involve the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Defense and multiple intelligence agencies.
- This is not an either/or situation. The United States can continue to welcome refugees while continuing to ensure our own security. We must do both.
- States cannot unilaterally block resettlement. Governors do not have the legal authority to determine who lives in their states. Syrian refugees are legally admitted to the United States and therefore have the right to move freely throughout the country. Suggesting otherwise is an attack on fundamental rights that we as Americans hold true and is against everything that we stand for.
- We urge public officials to avoid knee-jerk reactions that politicize the events in Paris, to reject misplaced blame that creates an atmosphere of fear, and to stand in solidarity with Syrian refugees, who are themselves the victims of ISIS.
- The United States resettles refugees of all faiths. Keeping Syrian refugees out of this country based on their religion sends the wrong message to the rest of the world about who we are as Americans. We are a welcoming country with a religiously diverse society and our resettlement program should continue to reflect this. To not do so only feeds into ISIS’ propaganda and makes us all less safe.
Jen Smyers
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Immigration and Refugee Program
Church World Service
110 Maryland Avenue, NE, Suite 110
Washington, DC 20002
Office: +1.202.481.6935
Email: jsmyers@cwsglobal.org