Evangelical leaders are urging President-elect Donald Trump to preserve the United States’ refugee resettlement program, reports Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global.
A statement released yesterday points to Scripture, beginning with "upholding the dignity of every human life, as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)." It also highlights that in fiscal year 2024, the U.S. resettled nearly 30,000 Christian refugees from 50 countries where they face persecution.
"Sustaining legal opportunities for entry, particularly for those who have fled persecution, reduces the pressure on individuals to make their own way to the U.S.-Mexico border," the statement reads.
Elsewhere, Carissa Zaffiro of Exodus World Service writes in a Chicago Tribune op-ed that despite isolationist rhetoric, Americans are still ready to welcome refugees.
Describing the diversity of Americans taking part in Welcome Corps, Zaffiro writes, "No matter where sponsors come from, they all have the same hope — to help someone in need of welcome and belonging. This is a core American value that lives on strongly in our nation. And it’s a value that welcoming newcomers only strengthens."
On the ground, the Refugee Dream Center in Rhode Island is one organization working overtime to help refugees, reports Paul C. Kelly Campos of Rhode Island PBS.
Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre, Jillian Clark, Soledad Gassó Parker, Broc Murphy and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
SCHOOLS — Schools across the country continue to consider how best to protect their students regardless of immigration status, Didi Martinez of NBC News reports, with more from Zachary Schermele and Madeleine Parrish of USA Today. At Wichita State University, Mia Hennen of The Sunflower has a good look at the uncertainty for international students and faculty. Trump’s first-term policies changed the landscape for people with visas to study or work, Hennen notes.
BORDER TRAGEDIES — Addressing migrant deaths at the border, El Paso, Texas, county commissioners passed a resolution this week calling for more humane immigration policies, reports Julian Resendiz of Border Report. The Rev. Arturo Bañuelas, chair emeritus of Hope Border Institute, said the community must respond: "As people of faith and people of good will, we cannot turn away. To ignore this crisis is to deny the humanity and dignity of those who have died."
U VISAS — A federal district court in Michigan ruled that a lawsuit centering on long wait times for those seeking U visas may go forward, report Isabel Gil and Rachel Mintz of Michigan Public Radio. The suit was filed by several immigrants that applied for U visas years ago and are still waiting for documentation allowing them to live and work in the U.S. legally. The U visa offers protections to noncitizen victims and witnesses of crime who assist law enforcement.
CHANGING — While immigration in Iowa is part of the state’s revitalization, the conversation about it is still tough for some residents, report Donnelle Eller and Kevin Baskins of the Des Moines Register. Economic projections show that immigration will remain crucial in the state, but multiple factors are influencing Iowans’ perceptions, Eller and Baskins note. "All these factors, plus the political nature of the issue, has made it challenging to talk about," said Lori Chesser, a local immigration attorney.
P.S. Some good news even as more than 6,600 unaccompanied migrant children remain in federal custody: A 4-year-old girl has been reunited with her mother after being found alone at the U.S.-Mexico border with nothing but a note, reports Jorge Ventura of NewsNation.
