Refugees and Clarity

amcottrell11
Nov 1
4 min read

I really hate our current political climate if I am honest. Also, I don’t really like politics nor do I feel I have a good understanding of the administrative technicalities behind policies and processes.

However, I do have pastoral concerns. Namely, I am concerned about the call of Scripture to love our neighbor. Which, in the biblical corpus, includes the foreigner, the stranger, and even our enemies. I am also concerned with the truth.

Each of us are impacted by our algorithms and propaganda. So, that said, what I am sharing is an attempt to clarify terms and data. The intention is not to trigger anyone or start a partisan argument. Additionally, I will also say that it is not my job to project or impose how I have worked out my own convictions related to the challenging things that scripture says about loving our neighbor. Each Jesus follower has to wrestle with that individually and work it out in their context.

Lastly, while I am not trying to start a partisan argument, I will own up to the fact that some policies of the current administration are troubling to me. Specifically, I am troubled by a recent decision about the refugee cap. If my dissent or disagreement with the current administration is unacceptable, then I am afraid this post will be troubling to you.

The goals is to shed light on what is true. Words matter and terms carry meaning. In the current climate, a lot of words and terms are conflated or collapsed thereby muddying the actual meaning. In the process, what is true gets distorted. My hope is that people who claim to follow Jesus, regardless of political party affiliation, value what is true and Scriptural over partisan loyalty.

I am going to attempt to clarify terms based on what I have learned about the US' refugee program.

Let’s Define Some Terms and Data

Asylum Seeker—someone who has left their country for fear of persecution and is seeking protection (asylum) in another country, but whose claim has not yet been decided. In the U.S., an asylum seeker is typically someone who is already in the country or at a port of entry and is requesting asylum under U.S. law. Unlike refugees, who are vetted and approved for resettlement before entering the U.S., asylum seekers apply for protection after arriving and therefore do not go through the same overseas screening process described below.
Refugee—under U.S. law, a “refugee” is a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country because of “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution” due to race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin. (This includes persecuted Christians.)
Vetting Process—Refugees are referred by the United Nations and coordinate with the US DHS. Various humanitarian concerns are taken into account and certain cases are given priority. Once refugee status is granted, a refugee applying for resettlement in the US undergoes an extensive vetting process with the DHS including health screenings, biographic screening, and several other security checks. The vetting process happens before arrival.
- Note: Claims that refugees are not vetted and that we do not know where they are coming from, etc. are false claims.
Resettlement and Aid—“Where a refugee is ultimately resettled within the US is determined by one of the nine US resettlement agencies and their vast networks of community partners. Upon arrival, refugees are welcomed and provided assistance as they become established in their new communities.” (Five of the resettlement agencies the US government works with are explicitly Christian, one is a Jewish-based, and four are secular). Refugees get financial aid to help with housing, food, and transportation; they are given medical assistance; may be eligible for other supplemental programs like SNAP; and Supplemental Security Income.
- Note: Our refugee Program was not something unique to any singular Democrat or Republican President. We have sought to be a safe haven and a beacon of humanitarian aid in this way at least since the Refugee Act of 1980.
- Note: Aid granted to refugees does not drain Social Security nor affect FEMA aid. These programs have separate funds/line items/designations that are established by Congress. Claims that say otherwise are false.
Refugee Cap—each fiscal year the sitting President sets a cap, a maximum number of refugees that the US will allow in and resettle. The cap has ranged from as high as 231,000 in 1980 under President Jimmy Carter to the lowest ever set at 7,500 under the current administration. President George W. Bush, after 9/11, set it at 70,000 from 2002-2007 (prior to 9/11 it was set at 80,000). President Joe Biden had a relatively high cap in recent history at 125,000 during all four years of his presidency, however his cap was not unprecedented.
- Note: A portion of refugees admitted into the US are persecuted Christians