South Fairfax News

On June 20, on World Refugee Day, Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and former Executive Director of the US Committee for Refugees, reintroduced the Lady Liberty Act to require the President to set a goal of admitting no less than 125,000 refugees annually.

“No one chooses to be a refugee,” said Connolly. “In the face of a growing humanitarian crisis, and in the aftermath of Trump-era refugee restrictions, America must reclaim its status as a safe haven for the downtrodden and keep its door open to refugees. This legislation will restore America’s leadership role in refugee resettlement.” 

“Thankfully, President Biden sees America as the welcoming and compassionate nation it is,” Connolly added. “I look forward to continued partnership with his Administration to establish safeguards against any future attempts to undermine America’s commitment to the protection of refugees.” 

More than 100 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2022, the highest level ever recorded. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the President shall determine the number of refugees who may be admitted in any fiscal year. President Donald Trump slashed the annual refugee ceiling to a historic low of 15,000 in FY 2021. The Biden Administration, by contrast, has admirably reasserted the United States’ role as a beacon of hope for the world and has established a ceiling of 125,000 refugees annually. The Lady Liberty Act would set a floor, not a ceiling, and would require the President to admit no less than 125,000 refugees annually. 

The Lady Liberty Act is cosponsored by the following Representatives: Beyer, Johnson (GA), Smith (WA), Moore (WI), Panetta, McGovern, Garcia (IL), Garcia (TX), Schakowsky, Evans, Tlaib, Espaillat, Bonamici, Blumenauer, Wasserman Schultz, Omar, McCollum, Pascrell, Watson Coleman, Green (TX), Barragan, Lee (CA), Raskin, Grijalva, Casar.    

The Lady Liberty Act is endorsed by the following organizations: The Advocates for Human Rights, African Communities Together, CASA, Church World Service, HIAS, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Immigration Equality Action Fund, Immigration Hub, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), National Partnership for New Americans, Oxfam America, United We Dream, We Are All America, Win Without War, Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center. 

Text of the legislation is available  here.

Original source can be found here.