Good morning & welcome to the Lab Brief.

As we prepare for tomorrow’s election, we join our community across the country with hope that the next administration will be one that respects and values our country’s legacy of being a place that welcomes newcomers. Today, we are sharing the work we’ve done recently to provide resources and insights for the field, fight for inclusive policies nationally and at the state and local level, and highlight the powerful perspectives of leaders with lived experience. This is work we’ll continue to do – and double down on – regardless of the election outcome.

Let’s take a closer look.

Lab Highlights

NEW POLLING EMPHASIZES THE IMPACT OF GETTING TO KNOW A REFUGEE

The Lab, Refugees International, and Data for Progress released a new poll showing that one factor in particular produces elevated support for more welcoming refugee, asylum, and asylum seeker workforce policies: personally knowing someone who is a refugee.

 

The poll shows that a majority of U.S. likely voters support the U.S. refugee resettlement program (63 percent), access to asylum at the U.S. southern border (52 percent), and reducing the wait time for asylum seekers to access work permits (60 percent). But when someone personally knows a refugee, that support increases dramatically – to 80 percent for both refugee resettlement and reducing the wait time for work permits and to 64 percent for access to asylum. However, fewer than one in five people (17 percent) say they know someone who is a refugee. 

 

The opportunity is clear: we must continue working to ensure that people who have experienced displacement are visible leaders driving the narrative around what it means to seek safety in the United States.

NEARLY 500 ELECTED OFFICIALS JOIN #WELCOMINGREFUGEES2025 CAMPAIGN 

Nearly 500 state and local elected officials from all 50 states sent President Biden a letter urging him to “strengthen the U.S. resettlement program to improve our capacity to welcome, enable our communities to more nimbly provide humanitarian protection, and preserve the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for years to come.”

Bahati Kanyamanza, Refugee Storytellers Collective member, IRAP Global Partnerships Director, and USRAB Advisor, knows firsthand the importance of refugee resettlement. He writes in Common Dreams to urge the Biden Administration to listen to these elected leaders and invest in the U.S. refugee resettlement program:

“The United States has a proud history of being a global leader in refugee resettlement… Despite the rise of misinformation and anti-immigrant political rhetoric, many officials are standing up for the truth that refugee resettlement benefits this nation.”

ONE YEAR LATER, WE’RE STILL FIGHTING TO #LETASYLUMSEEKERSWORK

Last October, the Lab, Refugees International, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association brought together local and national organizations from across the country to launch the #LetAsylumSeekersWork campaign. One year later, our coalition has grown to more than 60 partners, and our call for action is even stronger. 

Our diverse coalition is united in urging Congress to support the bipartisan House Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (ASWAA). This vital legislation would bolster the workforce and provide families and their communities security by allowing asylum seekers to access work permits sooner. Join us and call on your members of Congress to prioritize this bipartisan solution!

WHAT IT MEANS TO WELCOME NEWCOMERS: WE’RE ALL IN

In celebration of Welcoming Week, members of the Refugee Storytellers Collective shared reflections from their experiences finding belonging in their new homes and provided advice to everyday Americans on how we can make sure our communities are all in on welcoming newcomers. Listen to their powerful perspectives!

State Roundup

The legislative sessions in most Lab States have adjourned for 2024, but work is already underway to plan for 2025. A lot of it will, of course, depend on various election outcomes this month, but Lab staff and our partners are strategizing about what’s next in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia. 

OHIO

Local and state leaders, employers, and partners across the state and the nation continue to respond loud and clear to the misinformation, hate, and demagoguery we saw come out of false accusations about the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio. The Lab is proud to work with partners like Vibrant Ohio who are countering this false, harmful rhetoric, and we’re sharing some resources on ways we can continue to highlight how newcomers enrich the social and economic fabric of our communities.

PENNSYLVANIA

Rwamucyo Karekezi, a CWS organizer and the Lab's State Lead in Pennsylvania, was among those who delivered remarks.

On October 1st, our state partners at Church World Service organized an Advocacy Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg in support of HB 1630, which would establish a statewide Office of New Pennsylvanians. Speakers included Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (Reading), Rep. Joe Hohenstein (Philadelphia), Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (Philadelphia), and the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (Lancaster). The bill passed out of committee in June and is waiting on a vote from the House of Representatives.

Stay in Touch

Thanks for reading! Are you interested in state advocacy or Lab resources? Reach out.

 

The Refugee Advocacy Lab partners with varying groups on different activities, and as such, partnership with the Lab does not necessarily imply a partner’s support for any specific activity or policy. Similarly, the Lab does not necessarily support or endorse specific activities or positions of partner organizations.

 

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