Press Conference on World Refugee Day ... back > |
June 20, 2018 - Marking World
Refugee Day, speakers at a press conference on Capitol Hill drew
attention to the sharp decline in refugees entering the United States
and called for a restoration of our welcoming tradition.
According
to the UN High Commission on Refugees there are a total of 68.5 million
forcibly displaced people worldwide (40 million internally displaced,
25.4 million refugees and 3.1 million asylum seekers). |
Diane Randall, executive secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, said the United States should "step up and welcome more refugees to our nation," suggesting a goal of 75,000. The Trump Administration set a celing for FY 2018 of 45,000 refugees to be admitted to the United States, and at the current pace even that number will not be achieved. |
Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL). |
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). |
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). |
State Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN),
was born in Somalia and lived for four years in a refugee camp in Kenya
before coming to the United States. She was elected to the
Minnesota State House in 2016. On June 5 she filed to run for the
5th congressional district seat held by U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL);
she is the frontrunner in the race having gained many endorsements from
elected officials including Gov. Mark Dayton, as well as the
endorsement of the special 5th CD
endorsement convention held on June 17. |
Uyen Nguyen, who came to the
United States as a refugee from
Vietnam at age 11. |
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
seemed to have been mis-scheduled as she spoke on family separation,
the subject of the previous press conference. |
Deborah Jane, a refugee from
Uganda who survived an acid attack. She came to the United States
in 2016, but her four children remain in Africa. |
Imam Talib Sharif, Masjid
Muhammad of the Nation's Mosque. |
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb of
the Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation. |
more information: Refugee Council USA |
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