Urgent Appeal for Refugee Support Amid Policy Shifts
This action alert comes from LAMA’s ministry partners at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. Visit LSS-SW’s Refugee Crisis page to act today.
Ban on Refugee Resettlement and No Work Order
As you are aware, the Trump administration has issued a halt on refugee resettlement in the United States. In addition, a stop work order has been issued to all of the national resettlement organizations from the Secretary of State's Office. They have ordered work under the resettlement and placement portion of our program be suspended.
What does this mean?
The combination of the stop-work-order and executive order has cut off critical funding overnight, leaving thousands of refugees in immediate jeopardy nation-wide. At LSS-SW, in Phoenix and Tucson 130 families have recently arrived and are in need of services. There are currently 388 refugees within their first 90 days of arrival, who have been left behind. These individuals all need support and funding as they start their lives in the United State.
As these events show, policy decisions have direct impacts on the most vulnerable, and those who we are welcoming as neighbors. The executive order to stop our work is more than a policy shift, it is a crisis for those who rely on us. We must appeal to those who influence policy decisions and demand action.
How can I advocate?
Appeal to those who can make changes in the national arena.We urge you to unite with us in contacting your Congressional Representatives, and Arizona Senators and tell them that the halt in funding must end and that the refugee resettlement program be reinstated. We are currently scheduling meetings with District Representatives and have meetings this week. Please respond to this email if you would like to find out more information about joining an already scheduled meeting. (Jay Eberle at jeberle@lss-sw.org)
Or, you can send a letter and schedule a meeting yourself or with a group of your friends, neighbors, book club group, church congregants, or whomever in your community cares about these issues.
Educate, educate, educate. There is plenty of rhetoric in the world. Use the facts you know to be true. Know the difference in terms, and some of the common myths so you can help dispel confusion and combat misinformation. Click here for a sheet on refugee terms and facts.
Volunteer. There are many volunteer opportunities and ways to help.
Click here to get involved.
We stand together.
All this can sound hopeless and saddens the hearts of many Americans nationwide.
But united we stand.
We stand with our refugee neighbors, who have the legal right to be in this country. We stand with you, who have hearts for service, hearts for your neighbor, hearts for justice. We stand with all those who face fear in the midst of current national events.
And we will not give up. We will continue to advocate for the rights of those whose voices are being silenced.
C.S. Lewis said, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
Our testing point is now. Now is the time for us to use our voices for those who need us. Our neighbors are counting on us.
Will you join us?