FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2018
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Faith Leaders Oppose Record Low Refugee Resettlement Goal

WASHINGTON, DC - On Monday, September 17, 2018, the Trump Administration announced an historic low cap on the number of refugees who will be allowed into the U.S. in the next year. The 30,000 cap is one-third lower than this year’s number, in a time of the worst refugee crisis in human history.

Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, made the following statement after Secretary Mike Pompeo’s announcement of the FY2019 cap on refugee admissions:

"President Trump is irreparably damaging this nation of immigrants by slamming the door in the face of people seeking safe harbor while fleeing torture, rape, terrorism, war and poverty. I pray that this Administration will find the heart to reverse this immoral decision to severely cut the number of refugees that our country will admit."

In a statement on Monday, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition said:

“Communities of faith call on the administration to restore a robust refugee admissions goal of at least 75,000 in FY 2019 and urge Congress to decry an immoral admissions goal of only 30,000 refugees and weigh in with the administration directly.”  

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.
NRCAT.org    @NRCATtweets   facebook.com/nrcat

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