Advocating for Refugees

In late September, the President set the goal for numbers of refugees to be welcomed as new Americans during 2017. He also hosted a U.N. Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, seeking to encourage other nations to increase support of the displaced millions of our world. Prior to these things, a letter was sent by the Justice Committee to President Obama and our members of Congress encouraging a generous goal of 200,000 refugees, and opposing any efforts in Congress to reduce the level of funding for the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement in the FY2017 budget.

The need for communication emerged quickly, and the committee felt there was not enough time to solicit individual letters from members of our congregations. There will be ongoing opportunities to advocate for a faithful welcome, and the Justice Committee (members of The Federated Church of Orleans and Am HaYam Havurah) will work to keep everyone informed.