Urge President Biden to Invest in the Refugee Resettlement Program
The need for resettlement has never been more urgent. An unprecedented 110 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, 40 percent of whom are children. Among them, UNHCR estimates that 2.4 million refugees need urgent access to resettlement this year, but less than one percent are afforded this chance.
While efforts have been made to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) over the last four years, we are asking the President to do more. As he considers the refugee admissions goal for the coming fiscal year, we are asking the President to invest further in the resettlement program and ensure that it is ready to withstand external pressures, refugee emergencies, and political transitions for years to come.
It is essential that state and local elected leaders urge the President to invest further in the refugee resettlement program and ensure that the program is strong enough to withstand challenges in its future. Reach out to your mayor, city council members, state legislators, and governors to ensure that the voices of state and local communities are heard!
Email:
To send an auto generated email to your state and local elected officials click here.
Call Script:
Sample Script:
Call your elected representatives to encourage them to sign on. After identifying yourself as a constituent, tell the staffer that you would like to leave a brief message:
- I am calling to ask [Title/Name] to support refugees by signing onto a bipartisan letter open to all state and local elected leaders across the country.
- The letter urges the President to preserve and sustain the American refugee resettlement system for years to come.
- Our community stands with refugees and has benefited from their contributions, and we want to make sure the resettlement program remains strong. We need [Title/NAME] to express this to the President.
- I am happy to send an email with the link to the website – which is https://welcomingrefugees2025.org – who can I send that to?
- Thank you for ensuring that our community is welcoming and I look forward to seeing [title/name]’s signature on the letter.
Social Media:
Help us spread the word on social media using the hashtag #ProtectRefuge!
Sample tweets:
- State and local elected leaders from across the country & across party lines are calling on @POTUS to strengthen U.S. refugee resettlement. [@Your Elected Official], will you sign on to the letter and #ProtectRefuge now? https://welcomingrefugees2025.org/
- Refugees have contributed tremendously to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of our community. [@Your Elected Official], will you let President Biden know that our state proudly stands with refugees and sign on to this letter? https://welcomingrefugees2025.org/ #ProtectRefuge
- Our community takes pride in welcoming newcomers and making sure every person has a fair opportunity to build a good life for themselves & their families! [@Your Elected Official], will you put our values into action & urge @POTUS to #ProtectRefuge? https://welcomingrefugees2025.org/
Graphics to Use:
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