CWS Condemns Rewritten Executive Order Against Refugees and Muslims

CWS Condemns Rewritten Executive Order Against Refugees and Muslims

by | published on Mar 7, 2017

CWS_Action.pngThis version has the same impact as the initial executive order and must be stopped

Stand with refugees—act now: GreaterAs1.org

After the Trump administration signed a new executive order today against refugees and Muslims, CWS’s President and CEO, Rev. John McCullough, issued the following statement:

“CWS strongly decries this rewritten executive order against refugees and Muslims. Make no mistake: this rewritten version will have the same impact, while avoiding the court proceedings that kept the initial executive order from being implemented. It is a refugee ban. It is a Muslim ban. Banning individuals from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, grinding the resettlement of all nationalities to a halt for 120 days, and drastically reducing the number of refugees we welcome run counter to who we are as a nation. We are gravely disturbed that the leader of our nation continues to willfully mislead the American public about refugees, spurring fear and wreaking havoc on families, communities, and refugees who have already endured so much.

“The facts speak for themselves: refugees are not only some of the world’s most vulnerable people, but also the most heavily vetted individuals to enter the United States. Restricting access to their safety based on nationality or religion is misguided and un-American. Since each part of the resettlement process is time sensitive, this 120 day “pause” is not a pause as all – it will cause many refugees’ security checks to expire and force refugees who have already been approved to wait months and even years to go through multiple screenings all over again, while their lives hang in the balance. And by reducing refugee admissions by 64 percent to 50,000 – the lowest resettlement goal in U.S. history – we are turning our backs on refugees who have already been approved by the Department of Homeland Security and had prepared to rebuild their lives here.

“Today’s order is effectively the same executive order we saw issued in January –and our opposition to it will not waver. CWS continues to stand in solidarity with refugees and our Muslim brothers and sisters. We remain confident that our justice system will ultimately prevail in this assault on human and constitutional rights. We call on the Administration to rescind this order, and urge Members of Congress to do everything in their power to stop its implementation.”

Read our earlier statement on the initial executive order, including reactions from refugees and faith leaders, here. Also, find a letter signed by more than 4,000 faith leaders in opposition to the order here.

Statement from UCC – UCC leaders condemn revised White House travel ban

Take Action NOW!

  • Call your Senators and Representatives at (202) 224-3121 today and tell them you support the refugee resettlement program and oppose President Trump’s executive orders against refugees. *Please call this line 3 times to be connected with your 1 Representative and 2 Senators*

Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [City, State], and I support refugee resettlement. I strongly oppose President Trump’s executive order against refugees – both the original and the rewritten version. The order will bar individuals from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen; grind refugee resettlement from all countries to a halt; and reduce the number of refugees we welcome to 50,000, a historic low. This is morally reprehensible and does not reflect the welcome for refugees I see in my community every day. I urge you to do everything in your power to see this executive order rescinded.”

  • Lift your voice on social media using #NoBanNoWall
  • Tweet @realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse
    • .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse Don’t stop welcoming refugees. Resettlement demonstrates the best of our values #RefugeesWelcome #GreaterAs1
    • .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse Keep America welcoming. Refugee resettlement is a proud American legacy with bipartisan support #RefugeesWelcome #GreaterAs1
    • Countering ‘alternative facts’ with real ones. FACT: #Refugees are the most vetted people to enter the US. #RefugeesWelcome #GreaterAs1
    • .@RealDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse: Today’s EO is the same unconstitutional EO we saw last month & we are still against it. #GreaterAs1 #RefugeesWelcome
    • .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse Denying Muslim refugees safety is an affront to religious liberty #RefugeesWelcome bit.ly/4000religiousleaderletter hias.org/1500rabbis
    • .@realDonaldTrump & @WhiteHouse More than 4,000 faith leaders are opposed to any policy that would keep Muslim refugees from seeking safety: bit.ly/4000religiousleaderletter
  • Send the same message to whitehouse.gov/contact and comment on a post on the White House Facebook page: facebook.com/WhiteHouse
  • Organize a community response through RAPID RESPONSE AND MOBILIZATION opposing the executive orders against refugees, as well as the executive orders against immigrants that were released on January 25th.
  • Reach out to your partners in the business, health, educator, law enforcement, and faith community! Urge them to sign onto these sector-specific letters supporting resettlement and opposing discrimination: 
    • bit.ly/Business4Refugees
    • bit.ly/Educators4Refugees
    • bit.ly/LawEnforcement4Refugees
    • bit.ly/Health4Refugees
    • bit.ly/FaithLeaders4Refugees
  • Sign this petition from Shoulder-to-Shoulder’s partners at Muslim Advocates to show that you stand against the ban
  • Show up to rallies and public events around the nation. This site will be updated with information on airport rallies around the country as they come together.

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