November 19, 2001

What follows is an action alert prepared by HIAS, dealing with the suspension of refugee admissions and processing, in the wake of the September 11^th terrorist attacks. Since October 1, there has been a moratorium on refugee admissions to the U.S., pending a new Presidential Determination and security review. Meanwhile, many of the over 22,000 people already granted refugee status and now unable to enter the U.S. may be living in dangerous conditions while they wait, overseas. This includes numbers of Jewish refugees from the FSU. While we recognize the need for increased security, the safety of those waiting requires an expeditious and timely resolution of the problem. Please review the material below and contact your legislators.

Also attached, for your reference, is a copy of a letter signed by the JCPA and numerous other Jewish organizations urging action on this matter.
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HIAS ACTION ALERT
CALL FOR TIMELY RESUMPTION OF REFUGEE ADMISSIONS

November 19, 2001

One of the central components of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and its 120-year history of service to over 4.5 million migrants in the United States and around the world has been its commitment to refugees and other victims of persecution. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush Administration suspended refugee admissions to the United States. As a result, roughly 22,000 refugees who have already undergone the rigorous approval process for entry have not yet been allowed into the U.S. and most overseas refugee processing has been halted. Please help by asking your Senators and Representative to contact the Bush Administration and urge them to speedily resolve these problems and resume refugee processing and resettlement.

Background

Over the years, HIAS’ refugee work has benefited from close cooperation with other refugee resettlement, assistance and processing agencies; international organizations like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); and a public-private partnership with the United States government. One crucial aspect of HIAS’ refugee protection activity has been to coordinate the resettlement of over 400,000 Jewish and non-Jewish refugees since the late 1970s in communities throughout the United States where they now live in freedom and security.

Recently, this crucial work has ground to a standstill. The Presidential Determination authorizing refugee admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002, which began on October 1, has not yet been signed. Another obstacle for the refugee program is the pending federal security review of the procedures for granting visas and admitting refugees. The review is being undertaken by an interdepartmental working group, apparently being coordinated by the Justice Department, and has yet to either issue proposed changes for the refugee program, or to assert when the process will be completed so that refugee admissions can resume. Because of this, it will be very difficult to reach the proposed FY 2002 admissions ceiling of 70,000, thereby depriving thousands of deserving refugees of the opportunity to find freedom from persecution.

HIAS appreciates the Administration’s commitment to increasing security for all Americans. We believe, however, that the Department of Justice and Immigration and Naturalization Service should work with the State Department to initiate expeditious and creative approaches to ensure that our nation’s commitment to refugee protection and resettlement does not become another casualty of terrorism.

Action Requested

Members of Congress should be encouraged to call on the Bush administration to expeditiously conclude the security review of the refugee program, sign the Presidential Determination authorizing refugee admissions for FY 2002, and resume refugee admissions to the United States as soon as possible. Immediate action is needed so please fax or call your Senators and Representative.

A sample fax can be found below. If you do not receive a response from your Senators and Representatives, please follow up by calling their office and asking to speak with the immigration aide. By expressing your concern through faxes and phone calls, you can influence your Senators and Representatives to make their concerns known to President Bush and help the plight of thousands of refugees.

Sample fax On the Resumption of Refugee Admissions


(NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE) (NAME OF SENATOR)
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510
(202) 225-3121 (202) 225-3121


Dear Representative/Senator ________________:

I am writing to encourage you to call on the Bush administration to expeditiously conclude the current security review of the refugee program, sign the Presidential Determination authorizing refugee admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002, and resume refugee admissions to the United States as soon as possible.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration suspended refugee admissions to the United States indefinitely. As a result, roughly 22,000 refugees who have already undergone the rigorous approval process for entry have not yet been allowed into the U.S. and most overseas refugee processing has been halted.

In addition, the Presidential Determination authorizing refugee admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002, which began on October 1, has not yet been signed. Because of this it is likely that the proposed FY 2002 admissions ceiling of 70,000 will not be reached, thereby depriving thousands of deserving refugees of the opportunity to find freedom from persecution.

While it is essential that the federal government ensure the security and integrity of the refugee admissions program, the door to freedom in the United States must not be shut to the tens of thousands of refugees around the world who are truly in need of relief.

Sincerely,



















November 13, 2001

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The American Jewish Community shares all of our fellow Americans’ horror at the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and our nation’s resolve to oppose terrorism in all of its forms. These vicious acts were direct attacks on the core values that the United States and the Jewish Community hold dear. One core Jewish Community value - long cherished by the United States as well - is that of Piddyon Shvuyim (redemption of captives). We are thus writing today to raise our concern over the indefinite moratorium on the life-saving U.S. refugee admissions program.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the United States suspended resettlement processing everywhere except Moscow, Vienna and Havana. Since October 1, no refugees have been admitted to the United States, pending the new Presidential Determination and "security review." We note that over 22,000 individuals have been granted refugee status and are unable to enter the United States, often remaining in very dangerous conditions overseas.

Of particular concern to the Jewish Community is the October 11^th decision to suspend refugee interviews in Moscow as well. We have been informed that Moscow processing is not likely to recommence until January or February at the earliest, and even at that time it will be at a significantly reduced level. The Jewish Community has long valued our partnership with the U.S. government to resettle Jews from the former Soviet Union (FSU), helping them become a vital new component of our society. The current freeze on processing in the FSU leaves countless Jews, Evangelical Christians and vulnerable refugees identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in harms way without the safety that the U.S. refugee program promises.

While Embassies and Consulates worldwide continue to process nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, we understand that the refugee program is the only U.S. "immigration" program to be completely suspended. In light of the fact that utilization of the refugee program entails background checks, restricted access, a lengthy process, and mandatory detailed interviews, it is surely the least likely door through which an alien terrorist could seek to enter the United States.

The Jewish Community appreciates your Administration’s commitment to increasing security for all Americans. We believe, however, that the Department of Justice and Immigration and Naturalization Service should work with the State Department to initiate expeditious and creative approaches to ensure that our nation’s commitment to refugee protection and resettlement does not become another casualty of terrorism.

In the specific case of Moscow, we request that the U.S. government consider temporarily and expeditiously moving refugee processing to other sites in the former Soviet Union, such as Kiev. Finally, we urge you to sign the official Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for FY2002 to allow refugee admissions to resume.

Mr. President, we share INS commissioner Ziglar’s view that "If, in response to the events of September 11, we engage in excess and shut out what has made America great, then we will have given the terrorists a far greater victory than they could have hoped to achieve." Prompt reinstatement of the U.S. refugee admissions program, and of refugee processing in the FSU, would be important steps in denying the terrorists this victory.

Respectfully,

Leonard Glickman
President & CEO
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

Richard T. Foltin
Legislative Director & Counsel
The American Jewish Committee

Kenneth Jacobson
Associate National Director
Anti-Defamation League

Bert J. Goldberg
President & CEO
Association of Family & Children’s
Agencies

Daniel S. Mariaschin
Executive Vice President
B'nai B'rith International

Genie Cohen
Executive Director
The International Association of
Jewish Vocational Services

Hannah Rosenthal
Executive Director
Jewish Council for Public Affairs







Kaye Chavinson
President & CEO
Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland

Joel Carp
Senior Vice President
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

Betty Ehrenberg
Director, International and Communal Affairs
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations

Mark B. Levin
Executive Director
NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews
in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States &
Eurasia

Mark Handelman
Executive Vice President
New York Association for New Americans


Rabbi Vernon Kurtz
President
Rabbinical Assembly

Rabbi David Saperstein
Director
The Religious Action Center of
Reform Judaism

Micah H. Naftalin
National Director
UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union
Diana Aviv
Vice President for Public Policy
United Jewish Communities

Sarrae Crane
Director of Special Projects
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Cc: The Honorable Colin Powell, Secretary of State
The Honorable James W. Ziglar, Commissioner Immigration and Naturalization Service
The Honorable John Ashcroft, Attorney General
The Honorable Larry Thompson, Deputy Attorney General
The Honorable Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State
The Honorable Alan Kreczko, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration
The Honorable Elliott Abrams, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights, and International Operations
The Honorable Stuart Anderson, the Executive Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning, Immigration and Naturalization Service
The Honorable Jeff Weiss, International Affairs Director, Immigration and Naturalization Service
The Honorable Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement