Ahead of the Fiscal Year 2023 presidential determination on refugee admissions, 385 state and local elected officials from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have signed onto a letter urging President Biden to uphold our nation’s commitment to welcoming refugees and to rebuild U.S. resettlement.
The letter was organized by the Refugee Advocacy Lab, an initiative hosted at Refugees International and co-founded by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Refugee Congress, with additional support from Amnesty International USA (AIUSA).
Below are sample tweets for partners to share their commitment to this bipartisan, nationwide initiative to increase support and resources for refugee resettlement. Accompanying graphics are available in this folder.
General Support Tweets
(1) Across the United States, state & local leaders and the communities they represent support welcoming refugees. That’s why they’ve called on @POTUS to uphold our nation’s commitment to welcoming people seeking safety. Learn more: https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(2) Hundreds of state & local leaders have signed onto a letter urging @POTUS to rebuild refugee resettlement by investing in the resources and infrastructure necessary to make our nation’s goals a reality. https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(3) State & local elected officials support #RebuildingWelcome.
✅385 signatories
✅From all 50 states, D.C. & Puerto Rico
✅Across party lines
✅From all levels of government
Learn more about the leaders taking action: https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/ #RefugeesWelcome2023
Elected Official Quotes
(1) @TeamTram knows firsthand how essential resettlement is. “My family was able to survive and thrive because we were able to come to America as refugees. The refugee resettlement program saved our lives and helped us achieve success beyond our expectations.” https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(2) “Helping those in need should never be a political issue, but an humanitarian effort to protect those seeking asylum.” Council Member Brian E. Hawkins joins hundreds of state & local leaders in the bipartisan effort to rebuild refugee resettlement. https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(3) “Ensuring that the United States meets its commitment to providing safe refuge to displaced people is both a moral imperative and smart public policy.” Leaders like @SandraFeistMN know that welcoming refugees strengthens our communities. https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(4) State and city executives like @jaredpolis @MayorBibb @orlandomayor @MayorHancock @MayorofSeattle @chicagosmayor @boisemayor @MayorEONeal @SylvesterTurner @randallwoodfin @MayorWu are taking action to uphold our nation’s commitment to refugees. https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
Advocate Quotes
(1) “With a record-breaking 100 million people displaced worldwide, over a third of whom are children, the need for resettlement has never been more urgent.” @IRAP Senior Policy Counsel @am_balqees
State & local leaders are working to rebuild resettlement: https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/
(2) “Communities across the country have historically welcomed refugees and displaced people, knowing that it’s not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing.” @RefugeeAdvcyLab Director @KateEBrick
State & local leaders are taking a stand for welcome: https://welcomingrefugees2023.org/