After taking office on Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order that enacted a new “refugee ban” in the United States, this time not only closing the door to refugees waiting in UN-run camps around the world, but also halting vital services for refugees already resettled in the United States – services that the U.S. government promised to provide to help refugees find jobs, access medical care, enroll their children in school, and much more, that help our newest neighbors join our communities.
Take action: Urge your members of Congress to stand with refugees.
We invite you to stand up for refugees today by contacting your members of Congress to urge them to push back on this harmful executive action.
Maryknoll missioners around the world offer care for refugees – people who have fled their countries to escape violence, war, persecution, or human rights violations. In New York, the Maryknoll Sisters provide an apartment for refugee families in need of temporary housing at their Sisters Center near Ossining. “Hopefully, they find a little bit of kindness here,” said Sister Dora Nuetzi, MM.
“We have a strong commitment to justice, especially at the global level, and that's part of why we've been so interested in trying to help refugees,” said Sr. Anastasia Lott, MM. She credits the missioners’ lived experiences in many of the countries from which refugees come for providing a “broad understanding of some of the many factors that create the crisis.”
Last week, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined faith partners at the Interfaith Immigration Coalition in this letter to the Trump Administration and Congress in support of refugee resettlement, signed by 175 faith organizations and more than 1,000 faith leaders.
Join us in supporting refugee resettlement by taking a few minutes to contact your Members of Congress. Find more opportunities to take action in this toolkit: https://bit.ly/FaithActionDefendRefuge
Photo of Cuban American refugee Jessi Calzado-Esponda speaking outside of the White House on February 4, 2025, to protest President Trump's executive order ending refugee resettlement programs.