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Nationality Ban Information
The Trump administration has announced that several more countries will be added to its nationality ban in a new presidential proclamation. Citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar/Burma, Eritrea, and Nigeria will all be banned from receiving immigrant visas, except special immigrant visas that are available to a very limited number of people, beginning on February 21. Citizens of Tanzania and Sudan will not be allowed to get diversity visas, a type of immigrant visa. Nonimmigrant visas will not be affected. Refugees are not included in this ban since they do not enter the U.S. on immigrant visas. There are several troubling provisions and claims in this ban. The Immigration and Nationality Act…
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Public Charge SCOTUS Ruling
Last Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s “public charge” policy change is legal. This change “dramatically increases the government’s ability to reject green cards for people who are deemed likely to depend on government aid, such as food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid,” according to The Hill. The administration has advertised the rule change as a way to ensure self-sufficiency among immigrants; however, immigration attorneys argue that the rule is both ambiguous and discretionary. It will allow the government to turn away immigrants who have never used public services. In addition, because of this discretion, people can’t know whether accessing specific services will or won’t matter in…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Refugee Resettlement in Texas
We are deeply troubled by Governor Abbott’s decision to reject refugee resettlement in the state of Texas. The new court decision striking down President Trump’s executive order means the governor’s refusal will not stand, but his letter made it clear he does not believe new refugees are welcome. We decry this decision of exclusion and strongly encourage him to reconsider it. We applaud those leaders, like Utah Governor Herbert, who not only opted in to the refugee resettlement program, but also requested additional refugees, saying they are “eager to see the number of admittances rise again.” Herbert painted an accurate picture of mutual benefit and an embedded culture of compassion…
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Refugee Resettlement: An Update
January 9, 2020 By Christie Black, Director of Engagement I have been working within the Phoenix refugee community since 2015, and my immigrant friends have become a part of my everyday life. When the president issued Executive Order 13888 last fall, which requires all state and local governments to opt in to receive refugees in 2020, my heart sank into my stomach. I thought back to when I was volunteering for a local non-profit in 2016. I was helping with their Facebook posting, which required me to receive Google alerts for any mention of the word “refugees.” Some of the media notifications were absolutely ugly — and absolutely false —…
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Urgent Call to Action: Immigration Detention
December 6, 2019 Here’s one quick and simple thing you can do right now if you’re feeling heartbroken and enraged at news of another child’s tragic and unnecessary death in immigration detention. Call the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection and demand that they follow the CDC recommendations for giving migrants the flu vaccine. Then encourage two or three other people to call as well. DHS Office of Inspector General: 1-800-323-8603(Just FYI, they will ask for your name and contact information, but we’ve been told it is only for purposes of following up on questions about the investigation.)DHS Comment Line: 202-282-8495 You can also submit a complaint…
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Call to Action: Call Your Representatives About Migrant Protection Protocol
November 21, 2019 Last week MWEG introduced the Principles of Ethical Government. One of the three guiding principles is responsibility — that “all human beings are mutually accountable to their fellow human beings.” We believe we will be held responsible by our Heavenly Parents for how we treat each other or allow others to be treated. This is no less true of how we are treating our brothers and sisters south of the border who are suffering in Mexico as they wait for asylum to be granted. In January of this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new policy called the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP, also publicly…
