Executive Order on Refugees 4.0 (EO4)

November 2017

You care about refugees and want to welcome families who are fleeing for their lives. So do we, and we need your help!

HELP REFUGEES! CALL OUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!

MAKE JUST FOUR (4) CALLS:

John Katko, Congressman (R- NY)                             (202) 225-3701    (315) 423-5657

Charles Schumer, Senator (D – NY)                           (202) 224-6542    (315) 423-5471

Kirsten Gillibrand,  Senator (D – NY)                         (202) 224-4451    (315) 448-0470

President Donald Trump, White House                 (866) 961-4293

The Current Situation:

• • More than 65 million people – 22 million of whom are refugees and half of these or 11 million are children – have been forced to flee their country due to war, religious and political persecution, ethnic cleansing and natural disaster.
  • Resettlement is the last resort for people who are unable to return to their home countries.
  • Refugees are carefully vetted and have been since the US started resettling people.
  • No refugees have EVER been found to be part of terrorist activities inside the US due to our government screenings.
  • Each step of the vetting process is time-sensitive. If a step in the vetting process expires, refugees who have already been approved will wait months and even years to repeat multiple security checks, while their lives hang in the balance.

The Facts on EO4:

President Trump’s most recent Executive Order, issued Oct. 24, 2017:

• • Bans refugees from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and stateless Palestinians for 90 days.
  • Indefinitely suspends the US process allowing refugees family members to be reunited.
  • Requires all refugees to provide a phone number and email address for every one of their relatives, as well as all the places where they have lived for more than 30 days, going back 10 years.
    

The Impact on Refugees:

• • EO4 will affect nearly every refugee currently awaiting resettlement, and will create delays through most of 2018.
  • Refugees have been without a phone or computer for years while on the move seeking safety will NEVER be able to provide emails and phones. This policy will reduce by half the ability of the US to process refugee applicants for resettlement.
  • Refugees, many of whom have already been approved, will be delayed for years, often in sub-standard and unsafe situations.

These orders devastate hope for families waiting for loved ones, and tear apart the capacity that resettlement agencies have built. It is critical that elected representatives and President Trump hear from us.

Sample Script:

“I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. In the face of the largest global refugee crisis in recorded history, the new executive order issued on Oct.24, 2017 is unacceptable. It will affect nearly every refugee waiting for resettlement and attempt to dismantle the refugee resettlement program.

Refugees are helping to grow economies and communities in Upstate New York, including Syracuse, where they have helped offset a declining population, opened businesses, purchased homes, paid taxes, bought goods and services, and added diversity to our community.

(If applicable) As a person of faith, my tradition teaches us to care for the homeless, the widows, the children, and the stranger.

To remain a global humanitarian leader, we must continue to welcome refugees who need a safe place to live, work, and raise their families. People’s lives and futures are at stake. The United States must hold fast to its commitment to offer safe haven to the world’s refugees.

As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to rescind this executive order and to actively pursue legislation to welcome refugees to the US.

I believe that America must be a global leader in refugee resettlement, and that welcoming and protecting refugee saves lives and makes us stronger and safer as a community and as a country.”

Feel free to share a personal story about refugees that you have come to know.

Thank you for supporting refugees!

For More Information:

Please contact Daryl Files, InterFaith Works’ volunteer coordinator, at dfiles@interfaithworkscny.org  or 315-449-3552, ext. 208.

Follow this link for a printable document of this information.

Follow this link for the Facebook Event page.