REP LIEU & SENATOR SHAHEEN INTRODUCE WORLD REFUGEE DAY RESOLUTION

WASHINGTON D.C. - Thursday, June 18, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D - Los Angeles County) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D - NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution reaffirming the United States' commitment to the protection of refugees and displaced persons. The World Refugee Day Resolution was cosponsored by 27 Senators and 34 Members of Congress.

"Refugee resettlement and targeted foreign aid are strategic investments that foster goodwill and strengthen our national security. These efforts advance United States foreign policy goals and support host countries, all while helping families and individuals in need," said Representative Lieu. "Despite longstanding bipartisan support, the Trump administration abandoned its responsibility to protect the world's most vulnerable populations. As the Trump administration treats refugees with hostility, it is more important than ever to stand in solidarity with refugee populations. Robust U.S. foreign aid and refugee resettlement programs are both morally right and a smart investment. I'm pleased to reintroduce this resolution with Senator Shaheen and reiterate our call to help people fleeing unimaginable circumstances."

"America's commitment to helping the world's most vulnerable has long been a source of national pride and economic strength," said Ranking Member Shaheen. "Yet the Trump Administration has abandoned that legacy, turning its back on those who need our help the most. This World Refugee Day, we honor the spirit and contributions of refugees around the world, reaffirm our commitment to their protection and call on the Trump Administration to reverse course."

Support for this resolution:

"World Refugee Day arrives at a moment when more people are seeking safety than at any point in recorded history. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. The need has never been greater, yet in too many places, including the United States, the doors of welcome are closing. The Trump administration has corrupted the U.S. resettlement program, for the sake of a harmful ideological agenda that admits only one population at the exclusion of tens of thousands refugees at risk around the world. Congress must hold the administration accountable to restore a refugee program that resettles those most at risk. At Refugee Council USA, our coalition refuses to retreat from the promise that those who seek refuge will find it here," said John Slocum, Executive Director, Refugee Council USA

"As we approach America's 250th anniversary, we must reclaim our national promise of safety and opportunity. Local communities across the country are ready, as shown by the growing network of Certified Welcoming places. The capacity to welcome is clear; the mid-year addition of 10,000 slots and $100 million proves our systems can scale. Yet, reserving this space exclusively for one group while locking out 120,000 vetted refugees betrays our founding values. We Are All America proudly endorses this resolution, and we call on Congress to hold the administration accountable to restore an equitable, rules-based program that grants safety based on human need, not race or nationality," said Fatima Saidi, Director, We Are America (WAAA)

"Every person seeking safety has the fundamental right to request protection. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, this fundamental right has been imperiled by cruel immigration policies that seek to disappear, harm, and deport people exercising their fundamental right to seek safety, including many who have in fact already been found to be refugees. Despite these harmful policies, people around the world continue to recognize the importance of offering safe harbor to people seeking safety-not as an obligation, but as a profoundly human act of solidarity and compassion, that in turn immeasurably enriches our lives and our communities. On World Refugee Day, as we honor the courage and strength of people seeking safety, Human Rights First wholeheartedly endorses this resolution, and calls on Congress to do everything in its power to uphold the right to seek safety for all those who are forced to flee from their homes," said Robyn Barnard, Vice President of Refugee and Immigrant Rights, Human Rights First

"In the face of mounting attacks on people seeking safety, we applaud Senator Shaheen, Congressman Lieu, and their colleagues calling for policies that welcome refugees with dignity and fairness. The Trump administration's myriad anti-asylum and anti-refugee policies endanger people seeking safety, fuel family separations, and sow terror in communities across the country. They also violate the Constitution and laws passed by Congress, which obligate us to uphold noncitizens' due process rights and provide meaningful access to a fair asylum process. We urge lawmakers to do everything in their power to fully restore asylum and refugee protections in compliance with U.S. law and our international obligations," said Karen Musalo, Director, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS)

"World Refugee Day is an opportunity to honor the courage, humanity, and resilience of refugees everywhere, and to renew our commitment to welcoming and protecting those fleeing persecution. It is also a moment of reckoning, when we must grapple with the devastating impacts of the ongoing refugee and travel bans that have left so many with no path to protection," said Danilo Zak, Director of Policy at Church World Service. "CWS thanks Senator Shaheen, Representative Lieu, and their colleagues for standing with refugees and leading the 2026 World Refugee Day resolution. At its best, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is a shining example of American humanitarian values. We must fight to restore a refugee program that can once again enrich our communities, advance global stability, and support our national security."

The resolution is supported by the following organizations: #AfghanEvac, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, Church World Services, Friends Committee on National Legislation, HIAS, Human Rights First, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Refugee Council USA, Refugee Congress, Refugee Advocacy Lab, and Refugees International.

The House resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jesus G. Garcia (D-IL), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Christian Menefee (D-TX), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Becca Balint (D-VT), Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jarrold Nadler (D-NY), Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)Julia Brownley (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Tory Caryer (D-LA), Analilia Mejia (D-NJ), Teresa Leger Ferandez (D-NM), and Danny K. Davis (D-IL).

The Senate resolution is cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).