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
back >