Refugee Council USA Commemorates World Refugee Day 2025, Urges Our Elected Leaders to Take a Stand in Solidarity

Washington, DC– Today, on World Refugee Day, Refugee Council USA honors the resilience, strength, and humanity of refugees and forcibly displaced people around the globe. Earlier today, RCUSA and other partner organizations joined refugees, faith leaders, resettlement agencies, and allies for a World Refugee Day celebration in Washington, DC in front of the White House. Together, we reminded the Trump administration of the incredible contributions that refugees have made in the 45-year history of the refugee resettlement program. We stand in solidarity with those forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution – families and individuals continue to seek safety, dignity, and opportunity in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Just yesterday on Juneteenth, we commemorated the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, which calls us to confront our country’s long history of systemic injustice. As we celebrate Black freedom and liberation, we are reminded that the fight for justice is ongoing and that anti-Blackness, racism, and xenophobia still shape the policies and institutions meant to offer protection and refuge. While the stories of Black Americans may differ from those of newly arrived Black refugees and asylum seekers, the pursuit of liberation is universal. This Juneteenth, we celebrate the resilience of community in the face of oppression by uplifting their shared histories.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed the reinstatement of a deeply harmful travel ban, restricting entry to the United States based on nationality and faith. This echoes some of the darkest moments in our immigration history and undermines the fundamental American values of welcome and fairness. As global displacement reaches historic highs, the United States must lead with compassion and courage. That means rejecting fear-based policies and recommitting to a system that upholds the rights of all people to seek safety.

On this World Refugee Day, we remember: welcome is not just a catch phrase, it is a policy choice. And right now, that choice is in the hands of Congress. RCUSA calls on all people of conscience to stand with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants, not only today but every day. Now is the time to rebuild- not just in word, but in action. Our work is far from over.

Media Contact: Mariam Sayeed, msayeed@rcusa.org

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. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.

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