The big news today is that refugee arrivals are back on, at least temporarily until the courts rule out the legality of the executive order. Also today, a link to a great series of refugee stories featured on This American Life and a word of thanks.

Refugee Arrivals

Last Friday a U.S federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration’s executive order that temporarily halted refugee resettlement, banned Syrian refugees for an indefinite period and barred immigration from nationals of seven different countries. The judge’s order does not strike down the executive order, but temporarily stays its implementation. The adjudication of this argument now sits with the 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals and until that court makes a ruling (which is expected within days), none of the measures included in the executive order are in effect. The result of that for the resettlement program is that we will again be operating resettlement services for refugees including Syrians.

Our national offices in coordination with the Dept. of State, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN are busy trying to arrange travel and book flights for as many refugees as they can. From what we understand at present, refugees will be allowed to travel between today Feb. 6th and Feb. 17th. Catholic Family Center has already received new arrival notices for refugee cases to arrive between that timeframe. Admission of refugees beyond February 17th is yet to be determined, but in the meantime, this is of course very positive news for families already here who will be reunited with their relative refugees and for the refugee themselves who will be able to be admitted during the next two weeks.

Links
This past weekend, stories of refugees and others affected by the President’s executive order were highlighted on the radio show, This American Life. The episode featured firsthand accounts from Somali refugees on the moment they discovered they would be returning to refugee camps instead of traveling to the US, as well as interviews with national security experts and governmental officers who have been involved in refugee screening. Powerful and enlightening!

Check it out here at: www.thisamericanlife.org

THANK YOU!!!!

It was so great to see so many at the rally on Friday, despite the freezing temperatures, and also at the interfaith prayer service Sunday at B’rith Kodesh. Thanks to all who participated in these and other refugee support events. Your words and actions are immeasurably powerful in conveying welcome to our Newest Americans.

In gratitude,