A new private sponsorship program expands the opportunity to welcome
refugees.
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**B Stands for Bienvenidos**
Good afternoon,

We would like to begin this email by remembering Turkey and Syria after
experiencing a devastating earthquake
<[link removed]>
earlier this week. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people
affected, many of whom were seeking refuge from the horrors of war, as
well as those who are on the ground <[link removed]>
offering support <[link removed]>.

*****

As we take in news about immigration, it can be difficult to see a
narrative of welcome. 

While President Biden spoke of the need for Congress to find bipartisan
solutions in his State of the Union address
<[link removed]>
earlier this week, we see contentious arguments
<[link removed]>
from Member of Congress during hearings on "Biden's Border Crisis",
which have only just begun. DACA recipients continue to live in limbo as
Texas and eight other states
<[link removed]>
have filed the motion to halt the recent DACA rule, which would take
away the opportunity for Dreamers to apply for work authorization and
would make them vulnerable to deportation. And there continues to be the
need for permanent solutions for Afghans, farmworkers and the situation
at the border.

However, while these discussions may be at the forefront in media, many
advocates and activists across the U.S. are working to change the
narrative
<[link removed]> into a
welcoming one through new and already existing opportunities.

In January, the Biden Administration launched
<[link removed]>
the new Welcome Corps <[link removed]>, a permanent
opportunity for Americans to sponsor refugees to come to the U.S. and
accompany them as they adjust to a new life here. Modeled from aspects
of the parole programs set up to bring Afghans and Ukrainians to the
U.S., this program is meant to complement the work of refugee
resettlement agencies and expand the country's capacity to welcome a
higher number of refugees. There is no doubt that there is much to be
done to improve
<[link removed]>
the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which includes
strengthening refugee resettlement agencies who are the experts in
welcoming refugees in the country, and this new program is one way to
strengthen it.

The Welcome Corps will roll out in two phases. To start, private
sponsors will be matched with refugees whose cases have already been
approved. Later this year, private sponsors will then be able to
identify refugees to refer to the program for sponsorship. With the
Welcome Corps, through the right training and resources, people across
the country will have the opportunity to work together to welcome
refugees into their communities.

This is an exciting new opportunity as many Americans want to welcome
immigrants and refugees. Communities across our country participated in
welcoming Afghans
<[link removed]>
over the last year and a half. By engaging in opportunities like private
sponsorship, we can actively work against the negative narratives
surrounding immigration, demonstrating our desire to be a nation of
welcome.

[link removed]

(Source: National Immigration Forum Twitter)
[link removed]

We continue to call on Congress to work together to find meaningful,
long-term solutions <[link removed]> but we don't need to wait
for Members of Congress to make a difference. We can go into our
communities and practice welcome right there. For some of us, that may
look like becoming a private sponsor. For others, it could be
volunteering at your local resettlement agency or reaching out to an
immigrant in your neighborhood and becoming their friend. We can and
should work to create a culture of welcome where we are. Let's work
together to be communities, and ultimately a nation, that welcome.

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Allison

**Allison Bassett**
Senior Field and Constituencies Associate
National Immigration Forum 

**NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:**

****

**WASHINGTON POST:**

****Biden weighs border deal that would deport non-Mexicans to Mexico
<[link removed]>

**POLITICO:**DOJ says end of health emergency will terminate Title 42
policy and moot Supreme Court case
<[link removed]>

**THE HILL:**Partisan rift widens on immigration policy, as seen in two
House hearings
<[link removed]>

**NPR:**Green card applicants are likely to face fee hikes under
proposed changes
<[link removed]>

**THE GUARDIAN:**'I can't plan ahead': Dreamers speak out as US
program faces new threat
<[link removed]>

 

Donate Now
<[link removed]>

 

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National Immigration Forum

10 G Street NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002

www.immigrationforum.org <[link removed]>

 

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