PRESS RELEASE: Local, State, and National Organizations Call on Congress to Urge Trump Administration to Restore and Invest in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)
WASHINGTON, DC, February 13, 2025 — Today, Refugee Council USA joined 125 other local, state, and national organizations in a letter to Congress urging all Members to affirm our historic commitment to humanitarian protection and hold the Trump administration accountable to fully resume operations of the U.S. resettlement program in good faith. After President Trump indefinitely suspended the U.S. resettlement program, refugees in the United States and abroad, as well as the communities that welcome them, felt the harmful impact almost immediately. The refugee ban, compounded by the suspension in foreign assistance, violates our moral and legal obligations to forcibly displaced people.
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. But the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on refugee and humanitarian protections seek to eviscerate our nation’s capacity to welcome. With the State Department’s abrupt stop work orders and frozen funds for reception and placement services for already-resettled refugees – which followed the indefinite refugee ban – the deadly impact cannot be overstated. Eligible newcomers’ basic support was suddenly cut off just days before rent was due, while refugees languish in vulnerable and life-threatening situations abroad.
The letter states: “Americans support refugees; Congress should, too. The U.S. resettlement program is a bipartisan public-private partnership and vital tool for advancing U.S. foreign policy and diplomatic interests. The program is emblematic of our nation’s values of compassion and welcome – and its sudden suspension, even before the executive order’s effective date, threatens global security and countless lives.”
“President Trump’s refugee and foreign assistance bans are unconscionable and a moral outrage. But compounding his attacks against the most vulnerable refugees and forcibly displaced people with the State Department’s orders to stop reception and placement services that provide housing and subsistence support for newly-arrived refugees is unfathomably cruel. These core services serve as a lifeline for resettled refugees and relocated Afghan allies. Since January 20th, President Trump and his administration have caused a level of undue suffering and hardship beyond what we have ever seen. Across the country, resettlement agencies have been forced to abruptly cut off basic services just days before rent was due. We urge the Trump administration to immediately reverse course: Revoke the stop-work orders, rescind the refugee and foreign aid bans, and swiftly resume refugee processing and admissions. History will look back and wish we had restored this life-saving humanitarian program that advances our U.S. security, foreign policy, and diplomatic interests,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA.
“Refugee bans are based on racism, xenophobia, & false concerns about national security. The U.S. Refugee Program is the crown jewel of U.S. humanitarianism and this latest ban abandons decades of success welcoming refugees from across the world,” said Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA.
“America has a proud tradition of welcoming those who are persecuted or otherwise in danger. The refugee resettlement program is a proven, orderly, cost-effective way of offering life-saving protection to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. This country has been a leader in refugee resettlement. The beneficiaries are not just those who come here; it is also the communities to which they contribute. America has always been a beacon for those seeking haven and the decision to halt the resettlement program is a backward step for refugees and for America,” said Hans Van de Weerd, IRC Senior Vice President for Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration.
“The current refugee ban denies the truth of what refugee resettlement really is,” said Naomi Steinberg, HIAS Vice President of U.S. Policy & Advocacy. “It is predicated on dangerous falsehoods that don’t align with what the American Jewish community has known to be true for decades. We know that refugee resettlement helps to make our country more secure and our economy stronger. It is a legal, secure, and safe pathway that brings religious minorities who have been persecuted for their faiths to safety, just as it did for our own families. HIAS is standing up against the ban in court, not only because it is illegal, but because it is the right thing to do for refugees and the United States.”
“U.S. refugee resettlement provides life-saving protection to people who have fled persecution. A strong U.S. refugee resettlement program is both a moral and strategic imperative. The United States has long leveraged refugee resettlement initiatives to help ensure that front-line countries can continue to host large numbers of refugees and to support the stability of U.S. allies and other countries that collectively host the vast majority of the world’s refugees. The failure to provide effective resettlement initiatives is often a pivotal factor in pushing onward migration. The administration must reverse course before more damage is done to both human lives and U.S. national interests,” said Eleanor Acer, Human Rights First Senior Director at Refugee Protection.
“The United States has long been a place of refuge for people fleeing war and persecution, and refugees continue to enrich our communities culturally, socially, and economically. To turn our backs and indefinitely deny them access to safety through resettlement is a betrayal of the core values of welcome and compassion that Americans hold,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director of Refugee Congress. “As an organization built and led by refugees and others who have experienced displacement, Refugee Congress knows firsthand that welcoming refugees strengthens communities. We strongly urge Members of Congress to stand up in support of policies that uphold and expand the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, not weaken it. Protecting USRAP is not only a moral imperative—it ensures the safety and well-being of all Americans, including refugees.”
“Providing safe haven to people fleeing persecution is a cornerstone of American values. Shutting down USRAP is devastating for LGBTQ refugees seeking protection from violence, prison time, and death in their countries of origin due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. This about-face has already resulted in the death and entrapment in life-threatening conditions for individuals we serve,” said Bridget Crawford, Director of Law and Policy at Immigration Equality.
“As the largest Muslim digital organization in the U.S. with more than 500,000 members nationwide, we strongly oppose Trump’s unconscionable refugee ban,” said Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director at MPower Change Action Fund. “Banning refugees is not just a terrible policy that will harm countless lives but it’s also detrimental to America’s leadership and tradition of welcoming those fleeing violence and persecution. We must continue to fight and resist this administration’s attacks on our immigrant and refugee communities.”
“Among those people left on the tarmac —yet again—by the abrupt ending of USRAP and US foreign aid are Afghan women professionals educated with US assistance and Afghan men who protected the lives of U.S. military members. Ending USRAP for these and other individuals is devastating and dishonorable. Our country can do better,” said Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of Interfaith Center of New York.
“Refugees are among the most vulnerable persons in the world, subject to persecution and possible death. They also are the most vetted entrants to this country. To turn our back on them and leave them in jeopardy violates our tradition of providing safe haven to the oppressed and gives other nations the license to do the same,” said Kevin Appleby, Senior Fellow for Policy and Communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York.
“Realigning USRAP sends a dangerous message across the globe that the United States is going back on its promise to protect the basic human rights of refugees fleeing danger,” said Sui Chung, Executive Director of Americans for Immigrant Justice. “By abandoning our obligations to the most vulnerable, we are compounding their suffering while they endure a process that is already unnecessarily long and confusing.”
RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. This statement does not necessarily reflect the views of each individual RCUSA member organization.
Media Contact: Mariam Sayeed, media@rcusa.org