TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Defend and Welcome Refugees
As we near the end of summer, we are entering a particularly critical time of year for advocacy efforts on behalf of refugees and defending the refugee resettlement and humanitarian programs. Each September, the President is required by U.S. law to consult with Congress before setting the next fiscal year’s refugee admissions goal. September is also an important time for Congress to pass federal funding legislation before October 1st. RCUSA’s statement calling for a robust Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) refugee admissions goal is available here.
Since January 20th, the Trump administration has dismantled our nation’s ability to welcome refugees, piece by piece. The administration has resettled only a small number of refugees – a group of Afrikaners, as well as some refugees admitted through ongoing litigation and under waivers to the refugee ban – while it has gutted refugee assistance in the United States and abroad. Now is an urgent time to ensure our elected leaders hear that their constituents want our nation to resume refugee admissions for the most vulnerable, regardless of their country of origin, race, or faith tradition – and want Congress to defend investments for refugee processing, admissions, and resettlement services.
Your voice matters. Tell Congress to do 3 things:
- Urge the administration to fulfill its legal responsibilities under the Refugee Act of 1980 by conducting meaningful consultations with Congress and setting a refugee admissions goal by October 1st.
- Pressure the administration to set a refugee admissions goal of 125,000 for FY 2026 – a level that reflects both the global scale of need and the more than 120,000 refugees already conditionally approved for resettlement.
- Defend federal investments in refugee processing, admissions, and resettlement services and fully restore refugees’ access to basic healthcare, nutrition assistance, and social services to ensure that newly arriving families have the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for taking action — and share this action alert with your networks!