America slams doors shut
Dear Fellow Americans,
Two days ago, America shut and locked its doors after first vetting and then inviting in thousands of the most vulnerable around the world. Refugees who have waited years to be resettled, most often in overcrowded camps with deplorable living conditions, were given the green light by one administration only to have the next one decide to go back on America’s word. As leaders of From Strangers to Neighbors, we strongly oppose the executive order that halted this legal immigration into our country. We ask that you join us in doing the same.
Thousands of refugees, whose lives have already experienced trauma unimaginable to any of us born in America, are subjected to yet another massive trauma and cast back into limbo. There are 40 MILLION refugees across the globe. The United States has historically only allowed entrance to less than 1% of those in need of resettlement across the world. Less than 1%. Of that 1%, only a handful would have arrived here in February.
The term “refugee” confers legal status. It is a formal designation by the United Nations Higher Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). This organization vets all displaced people and does an incredibly rigorous process to verify that a displaced individual seeking classification as a refugee faces serious risk of imprisonment or death if they return to their native country. This risk may stem from their religious beliefs, political beliefs, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or gender. These are people with literally no place to go. The UNHCR goes to great lengths to verify that individuals seeking refugee classification face genuine risk if they return home; it is a years’ long process.
Given what these refugees have already endured AND the promise our country made to them to provide permanent refuge, the decision of the new administration to now refuse safe haven is pure political theater. The individuals denied entry as of Monday had already been vetted by the United States own Department of Homeland Security - a process that typically takes up to two years to complete. Many of these individuals have been waiting and hoping for resettlement for more than a decade.
Per Exodus Refugee in Indianapolis, 118 refugees were scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis and Bloomington in February. Instead, they will continue to wait in overcrowded refugee camps where they have already waited for years. Some of those scheduled to arrive were going to be joining family members who arrived here just weeks ago, believing their family members would quickly follow. Now the new arrivals are terrified, wondering if they will ever see husbands, mothers, fathers, children and grandchildren again.
This closure of America’s doors to refugees does not make American safer. It does not bring down the price of eggs, lower the cost of gas, or put more money in Americans’ pockets. It does make a mockery of America’s Statue of Liberty, which bears the famous words, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free….Send these, the homeless, tempest-test to me.”
Many of us have grandparents or great-grandparents who were among the 18 million immigrants who came here between 1890-1919. Many Americans back then worried about/feared immigrants, but somehow as a country we managed to still let people come, stay, and make homes here. Those immigrants made our country better. These immigrants had children - and grandchildren - and those children and grandchildren became soldiers who fought in our wars, farmers who grew our food, doctors and nurses who treated our sick, teachers who taught our children, and business owners who employed millions, These immigrants paid taxes, bought homes, and helped launch a middle class unlike that anywhere else in the world.
Yet now, we find ourselves unable to welcome ANY immigrants including the tiny fraction of the world’s refugees who had already been vetted and approved for resettlement here. These individuals seek safety and an opportunity to live in peace, raise families, and have hope. These immigrants want to work, raise families, and contribute toward their new local communities and their new country.
Every major religion has some version of the commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself. Treat others the way you want to be treated.” If you claim Judaism, Christianity, or Islam as your faith, you cannot ethically support a decision to turn away foreigners in need of refuge. For many who cannot embrace any religion, hypocrisies such as the one we are witnessing now are the reason why they can’t embrace one.
Call your senators today. Encourage them to apply pressure to the administration to honor the commitments America made to thousands of refugees, many of whom face serious risks to their lives with America closing its doors. (Afghani refugees, in particular, face dire threats to their lives.) Emphasize that you understand these individuals have already been vetted and do not pose security threats to our country. Instead, they have the ability to add to its richness and enable us to be the best version of America we can be.
In Indiana, here are the contact numbers you need:
Senator Todd Young - (202) 224-5623
Senator Jim Banks - (202) 224-4814
We strongly encourage all Americans to learn the facts about the world’s refugees and America’s immigration system. Blanket declarations of war on immigration harm our entire country as well as the millions of displaced people around the world seeking safety and security for their families, just as Americans want for their own families.
Signed,
Reverend Liz Kaznak-Hall
Reverend Bob Heimach
Jenni Heimach
Dr. Mark Tasch
Mohammed Alhamwi
Cilla Hamill
Sharon Boller