People who arrive to Minnesota as refugees are important members of our community. All people fleeing persecution deserve safety, and Minnesota is stronger when we welcome New Americans.
Now more than ever we need you to advocate to support and protect refugees. The Federal refugee resettlement program is at risk of being reduced to the point where the very infrastructure in place to resettle refugees will all but go away. People with refugee status need your help in advocating for a refugee ceiling of 75,000 in 2019.
What is the “refugee ceiling?”
The President of the United States determines the number of refugees our country can resettle each year (the federal fiscal year begins October 1). Since it began in 1980, this has been a humanitarian program with bipartisan support. As you can see in the chart below, the ceiling has fluctuated over time, mostly in response to global need. Right now, we are witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, but we are welcoming fewer refugees than ever.
What’s happening now?
Last year, the President reduced refugee admissions to 45,000, a historic low. Due to what one official referred to as “death by a thousand papercuts,” we are not on track to resettle even half that number of refugees.
This year, there are rumors of him lowering it even further.
In Minnesota, where 95% of refugees are reuniting with family (according to the MN Department of Human Services), this is a very personal, emotional issue.
It’s also an economic one. Minnesota needs New Americans in our workforce, and refugees are proven to contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits.
What can you do?
- Call the White House (202-456-1414) to advocate for the refugee ceiling to be raised to 75k in 2019.
- Share the messages (and image) below on your personal social media. It’s important that accurate information is reaching the public.
Shareable Messages:
Share the link to this page on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or any social media platform. Here are some suggested messages, but feel free to be creative! You can also click the image to download a .png you can use anywhere you’d like.
- 95% of refugees coming to Minnesota are reuniting with family members. Families belong together: we need to #Welcome75k in 2019! Learn more here: /blog/welcome-75k-what-you-can-do/
- The United States has a bipartisan history of welcoming refugees, and it’s made our country stronger. Urge the President to #Welcome75k /blog/welcome-75k-what-you-can-do/
- Last year, the President reduced refugee admissions to a historic low.
This year, almost 300 local & state elected officials from over 40 states have signed a letter urging @POTUS to #Welcome75K refugees for #FY2019!
Learn more: /blog/welcome-75k-what-you-can-do/
What Elected Officials Can Do:
Almost 300 local & state elected officials from over 40 states have signed a letter urging the President to #Welcome75K refugees for FY2019!
In Minnesota, the following state and local elected officials have signed-on:
- Mark Dayton, Governor
- Melvin Carter III, Mayor, St. Paul
- Jacob Frey, Mayor, Minneapolis
- Fue Lee, State Representative, Minneapolis
- Rena Moran, State Representative, St. Paul
- Ilhan Omar, State Representative, Minneapolis
If you don’t see your elected officials on this list, ask them to sign-on.