On January 15, a federal judge blocked the President’s executive order issued on September 26, 2019, that gave states and localities the ability to deny refugees from being resettled in their communities. The executive order could have potentially prevented refugees from being resettled near family or other critical support networks that would help ease their transition to the U.S. However, prior to the judge’s action, an overwhelming majority of both Republican and Democratic governors and county officials across the country voiced their continuing commitment to welcoming refugees. As refugee resettlement continues - as it has for almost 40 years (although at a historically low level) - please take this opportunity to thank your governor for expressing continued support for welcoming refugees into your community.
Note: You will only be able to take this action if your governor was one of the 43 governors who provided consent before the executive order was blocked. A full list of the governors who provided consent can be found here.
Read a backgrounder or return to the Office of Social Justice website.
Image Credit: Flickr user Tim Reckmann