URGENT: Take Action for Refugees Now!

Tell the White House & Congress that you OPPOSE Trump’s Announcement to

Grind Refugee Resettlement To a Halt & Bar Refugees from Certain Countries

President Donald Trump has announced that the U.S. government will stop resettling refugees from certain countries; pause the entire refugee resettlement program for 120 days; preference religious minorities; and reduce the number of refugees we welcome at the very time when they are most in need of safety. These announcements fly in the face of our best values of compassion, hospitality, and welcome. With more than 65 million forcibly displaced in the world–the worst in our global history–it is more important than ever to take action by condemning this new policy.

Barring refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from resettlement and narrowly preferencing religious minorities is tantamount to a Muslim ban. And by reducing refugee admissions from 110,000 to 50,000, Trump is going back on America’s promise to refugees and abdicating America’s leadership role on human rights. Halting resettlement for 120 days will grind refugee processing to a halt. Each step of the security check process is time sensitive, so a pause will force refugees who were set to arrive in the United States soon to instead wait months and even years to go through fingerprinting, interviews, health screenings, and multiple security checks all over again, all while their lives are in danger.

These announcements are gut-wrenching for our community members who are waiting to be reunited with a sister, brother, parent or child, and for refugees overseas with no other options for safety than to be resettled in the U.S. We cannot discriminate against refugees for how they pray or where they are from. Refugees are the most thoroughly vetted immigrants in the United States, undergoing biographic and biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic document testing, and in-person interviews. It is critical that President Trump and all Members of Congress hear their constituents decry these announcements and declare their support for refugees from all over the world.

CALL THE WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS TODAY!
President Trump: (866) 961-4293
Your Senators and Representatives: (202) 224-3121*

*Please call this line 3 times to be connected with your 1 Representative and 2 Senators

Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [City, State], and I support refugee resettlement in the U.S. I am strongly opposed to President Trump’s announcements to stop the resettlement of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen; pause the refugee resettlement program entirely; preference religious minorities; and reduce the number of refugees we welcome. This discriminatory announcement is morally reprehensible, runs counter to who we are as a nation, and does not reflect the welcome for refugees I see in my community every day. I urge you to do everything in your power to see this announcement reversed.”

Please also share a personal story about why refugee resettlement is important to you, your community, etc. Let them know the specific ways that refugees contribute and are welcomed into your community.

One of the best ways to make your voice heard is by tweeting @realDonaldTrump, @WhiteHouse, and @ your Senators/Representatives; posting a comment on Facebook.com/WhiteHouse; and submitting an electronic message at whitehouse.gov/contact.

Please also join us in tweeting photos at @WhiteHouse using the hashtag #SolidaritySelfie: 1) Write a short note on a piece of paper – something like “Refugees Welcome,” “Here to Stay” or “I stand with immigrants.” 2) Take a picture of yourself with the paper. 3) Tweet the photo of yourself, along with a note, at @WhiteHouse. Make sure to include the hashtag #SolidaritySelfie!

Suggested Tweets:

• .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse Don’t stop welcoming refugees. Resettlement demonstrates the best of our values #SolidaritySelfie
• .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse Keep America welcoming. Refugee resettlement is a proud American legacy with bipartisan support #SolidaritySelfie

You can also take action by organizing or joining Rapid Response Prayer Vigils in your area! Click HERE to learn more!

More than 2,000 faith leaders have signed a letter opposing policies to bar refugees based on their religion or nationality, available at bit.ly/2000FaithLeaders4ALLRefugees. And statements from faith leaders opposing this announcement can be found HERE. Responses to the announcement from Syrian, Iraqi, Cambodian, and Bhutanese refugees can be found HERE.

Follow @CWS_global on Twitter and “like” CWS Immigration & Refugee Program on Facebook for up-to-date alerts.

Resources:

• RCUSA refugee 101 backgrounder
• RCUSA background on the security screening process
• Refugee Resettlement State Profiles
• Letters and articles, national and state-by-state, demonstrating welcome for refugees
• Letter from former Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security
• Letter to Congress from 20 Former National Security Officials
• Letter​ ​from​ ​2,000​ ​faith​ ​leaders​ ​affirming​ ​welcome​ ​for​ ​refugees​ ​of​ ​all​ ​religions
• Quotes from faith leaders in opposition to refugee executive order
• In-Process stories of refugees impacted

People of Faith Stand With the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

We the interfaith community express deep concern over the Administration’s memorandum calling for the expedited approval of Energy Transfer Partner’s request to complete construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Such an action completely disregards the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ finding that to comply with current laws – including tribal treaty rights – a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and consideration of route alternatives is required.

We support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other tribal nations along the Missouri River who have raised grave concerns about the federal government’s lack of adequate consultation, the desecration of their sacred lands, and the pipeline’s threats to their water supply and the water supply for millions of others. The memorandum seeks to circumvent these concerns.

We oppose that intent, and urge that the Army Corps’ denial of the easement and its Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement be advanced, and neither rescinded, modified, nor withdrawn. We urge the Administration to adhere to these and other processes in recognition of tribal sovereignty, the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes, and the protection of tribal lands, waters, and culture.

Our nation’s past and present are all too replete with events and decisions that have caused grievous harm to tribal nations and peoples. In this case, much of the land and water at the focal point of the DAPL dispute was taken from the Lakota tribes through the federal government’s abrogation of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 – an abrogation recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. Lake Oahe exists only because the Army Corps built a dam on the Missouri River in the 1950s without consent of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other affected tribes. The land dislocated tribal members and flooded lands rich in natural resources, agriculture, and sacred sites. The current memorandum’s intent, if carried out, would add yet another chapter in our nation’s history of injustice to tribal nations and people.

We are called to love thy neighbor, especially neighbors who are subject to systemic injustices, and to till and keep God’s Creation. (Genesis 2:15). We stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other affected nations to affirm their sovereign rights to protect their lands, waters and culture, and prevent the continuation of unjust acts. We oppose the executive memorandum, and urge the Administration to engage in a full environmental impact statement to ensure that our nation’s history of dishonor to tribal nations and peoples ceases, and a new era of mutual respect begins.

Creation Justice Ministries
Christian Reformed Church in North America, Office of Social Justice
Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ)
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Interfaith Power & Light
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office
Pax Christi USA
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Quaker Earthcare Witness
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas' Institute Justice Team
Sojourners
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society

Support Refugee Resettlement! Oppose President Trump's Executive Order on Refugees!

URGENT: TAKE ACTION NOW!

Urge Your Senators & Representatives to Oppose Trump’s Pending Refugee Announcement

Various media outlets are reporting that Donald Trump will issue an executive order that would reduce refugee admissions, grind resettlement to a halt, stop resettling refugees from certain countries, and preference religious minorities. These proposed changes fly in the face of our best values of compassion, hospitality, and welcome. With more than 65 million forcibly displaced in the world–the worst in our global history–it is more important than ever to urge our elected leaders to weigh in TODAY to oppose such an announcement.

Barring refugees from certain countries and narrowly preferencing religious minorities is tantamount to a Muslim ban. Any announcement to pause resettlement would grind refugee processing to a halt, as each step of the security check process is time sensitive. A pause would force refugees who were set to arrive in the United States soon to instead wait months and even years to go through fingerprinting, interviews, health screenings, and multiple security checks all over again, all while their lives are in danger.

These announcements would be gut-wrenching for our community members who are waiting to be reunited with a sister, brother, parent or child, and for refugees overseas with no other options for safety than to be resettled in the U.S. Refugees are the most thoroughly vetted immigrants in the United States, undergoing biographic and biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic document testing, and in-person interviews. It is critical that Members of Congress hear their constituents decry these announcements and weigh in directly with Trump to urge him to immediately abandon these plans.

CALL YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!

Call (202) 224-3121 3 TIMES to be connected with your 1 Representative & 2 Senators

Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [City, State], and I support refugee resettlement in the U.S. I am strongly opposed to the announcement expected from President Trump that would reduce refugee admissions, grind resettlement to a halt, stop resettling refugees from certain countries, and preference religious minorities. This discriminatory announcement is morally reprehensible, runs counter to who we are as a nation, and does not reflect the welcome for refugees I see in my community every day. Please urge President Trump to abandon this plan and do everything in your power to stop this announcement.”

Please also share a personal story about why refugee resettlement is important to you, your community, etc. Let them know the specific ways that refugees contribute and are welcomed into your community.

One of the best ways to make your voice heard is by commenting on a post on the White House Facebook page: Facebook.com/WhiteHouse or submit an electronic message at whitehouse.gov/contact.

Tweet @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse, and @ your Senators/Representatives: “.@[HANDLE], my community stands w/ ALL refugees! Support refugee resettlement & reject discrimination! #RefugeesWelcome”

Read New OPW Director, Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, on Refugee Resettlement

New OPW Director Insists: "#RefugeesWelcome" 

Remarks by Rev. Jimmie Ray Hawkins 

January 25, 2017

We stand here today on the historic steps of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, a   In fact, this church has just voted to become a Sanctuary congregation. 


church where both President Lincoln and President Eisenhower attended services– and a church with deep roots in working for justice and peace in our country and abroad.

People of faith have provided safe space and “sanctuary” in their places of worship throughout history.  In ancient times, the Hebrew people had cities of refuge for persons wrongfully accused of crimes. In the years before the American Civil War, congregations provided safety for slaves fleeing the South in the Underground Railroad. In the 1980s, more than 500 U.S. congregations provided safe houses to Central Americans fleeing civil war but whom our government refused to acknowledge as refugees.

Knowing that Jesus himself entered this world as a refugee, faithful Presbyterians have been urging the welcome of refugees and demanding higher annual admissions into the United States since the refugee crisis of World War II.

The Presbyterian Church is present in many of the countries from which refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing.  This includes Syria and Lebanon, where we have been present since 1823. Because we have a presence with people of faith and communities in these countries, we understand why these refugees are fleeing and are further committed to welcoming them.

Thousands of Presbyterians across the U.S. have personally reached out to welcome refugees and asylum seekers.  They have seen first hand the struggles and the determination of our new neighbors to rebuild their lives in dignity.  We have also seen how difficult it is to focus on survival while worrying about family members who are still overseas waiting for the chance to be reunited. We know that family separation impacts family members on both sides of the ocean as those who are here must divide their attention and their resources between establishing themselves here and helping their loved ones stay safe.

Right now nearly 60 million people are displaced by war and persecution; 30 million of those displaced are children.  Eleven million displaced Syrians cannot go to school, tend to their land, or raise their children in the place they know as home. Families are risking their lives and fleeing their homes to seek safety. They are spending months journeying, sleeping outside, paying smugglers for safe passage, and praying for a future for their families in a place that is safe from conflict.  Our nation has historically stood for hope and welcome for those fleeing war and persecution. We cannot turn our back on them now.

Now is the time for the faith community and our nation to assist the refugees and asylum seekers who are the most vulnerable population on our planet.   We cannot let the noise of a fearful few drown out compassion and our firmly held collective values. 

We stand with the American people in strong opposition to the announcement by the president, which turns our backs on Syrian refugees and refugees from around the world at the very time when they are most in need of safety.

The refugee resettlement program was started by faith communities in the United States and this announcement flies in the face of our values as a church and as a nation.  We are called to welcome the stranger and treat the sojourner as we would our own citizens.  Our nation will be judged by how we treat the most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, and the refugee, during these trying times. 

Rather than follow our most base instincts of fear and hatred, we must send a message of hope and healing, of peace and justice to those fleeing desperate situations.

###

Register Now for Advocacy Training Weekend and Speak Truth to Power!

Join us for Advocacy Training Weekend April 21-24

Now more than ever your voice is needed in Washington, DC and your local community!

 Confronting Chaos, Forging Community

Racism, Militarism, and Materialism

Join us April 21 for Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DC.  Gather with your fellow Presbyterians as we look at how our church and our partners are confronting racism, materialism, and militarism in our country and abroad.  In plenaries and workshops we will analyze our current context and offer concrete tools for members and their congregations to address these urgent issues.  We will learn how we can “forge community” amidst the current chaos in our country.

After Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day join the ecumenical community for Ecumenical Advocacy Days April 21-24.  Almost one thousand Christian advocates join us every year for a weekend of workshops, lectures, and concrete actions addressing the ills of our nation.   The weekend culminates in a lobby day on Monday, April 24th when we raise our voices in the halls of power for a more just society.

Registration is filling up fast! For more information and to register for both events click here!

Featured Panelists for Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day just announced:

Amal Nassar

Amal Nassar and her family cultivate peace and reconciliation through children’s summer camps, education for women, and inviting visitors to their West Bank farm called the Tent of Nations. Guided by their desire for bridge-building, the Nassar family has spent 20 years welcoming people from all over the world and teaching those around them in the West Bank about nonviolence, love of the land, and reconciliation, saying boldly, “We refuse to be enemies.”

Elona Street-Stewart

Elona Street-Stewart, Delaware Nanticoke, is a ruling elder and member of Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, MN. She is the Synod Executive for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, following many years serving the PC(USA) on racial justice matters in mission development and support programs. Additionally, for the past 40 years, she has been involved in grass root and national justice advocacy on racial equity, Indian education, family empowerment and public policy. Elona has received many honors, including Minnesota American Indian Parent of the Year 1998, a national PW Women of Faith Award 2010, and a Peacemaker Award in recognition of Mahatma Gandhi’s 147nd birthday. Serving on the Saint Paul School Board for three terms, she was the first Native American elected to an urban school board in Minnesota as well as the first to be installed as a synod executive in the PC(USA). An Upward Bound student from Philadelphia and Occidental college graduate, Elona and her husband, Rev. David Stewart, have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

Click here to register today!

Join the National Interfaith Call-In Day to #ProtectOurCare!

Call 1-888-897-9753 on January 9!

As we begin the 115^th Congress and a new presidential administration, we need to do all we can to protect healthcare as Congress attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Call your Senators now to protect healthcare. Call 1-888-897-9753. Tell them to vote NO on S.Con.Res.3.

The Trump campaign promised that no one who currently has coverage under the ACA would be without coverage under a new plan. The challenge: Just last week, Congress took the first step in their plan to rush through a repeal of the ACA in a budget resolution, which would speed up the process of dismantling the ACA without proposing an alternative.  

Legislators are using the budget process to dismantle the ACA by eliminating tax breaks, subsidies, and more. These changes would further increase our national debt, and it is a sneaky and irresponsible move by Congress to dismantle the economic structures that support the ACA.

This strategy is not acceptable for the millions of Americans who stand to lose coverage. It will spread fear in 20 million people who receive healthcare through the ACA and countless others who have benefitted from the ACA. Congress must ensure they have a viable plan in place to protect the lives of millions of people.

For more than 60 years, Presbyterian General Assemblies have been calling for reform of the U.S. health system, urging the establishment of a national medical plan that will ensure universal health coverage for all persons residing in the United States. In 1988, the Assembly wrote, “Jesus’ command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful health resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health.” In other words, it is our collective responsibility as a community, and as a nation, to make sure that all people have access to the means to good health – that is, access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health coverage. 

Call your Senators now to protect healthcare! Call 1-888-897-9753.

(Call twice to be connected to both of your Senators)

When you call, here’s what you might say:

“Hi, my name is [NAME], and I am a constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. As a person of faith, I believe that healthcare is a basic human right, and a core part of my faith’s teaching. Please tell the Senator that they should oppose any repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Changes to healthcare should not happen unless there is a viable replacement to ensure millions of Americans continue to receive affordable, quality healthcare.  This is a matter of life and death. Please vote NO on any legislation that includes repealing the Affordable Care Act without a suitable alternative in place. Vote NO on S.Con.Res.3.”