Today, the Trump Administration issued an executive order to halt the U.S. program and indefinitely bar the resettlement of refugees from Syria. As an organization that partners with refugees all over the world, Asylum Access strongly feels this is a step backward from the global refugee response model the world needs.

Today marks the end of an important program–one that has saved the lives of thousands of refugees without compromising the safety of host communities in the U.S. The small minority of the world’s refugees (1%) that go through the resettlement pipeline and end up in the U.S. are often those most in need of tolerance and compassion.

To combat myth and rhetoric, here are the facts: the majority (72%) of refugees that were resettled to the U.S. in 2016 were women and children. Security agencies and the intelligence community thoroughly vet all incoming refugees.

Thank you for joining us to create a world where refugees can rebuild their lives in any country, including the U.S. If you’d like to take action today, you can call the White House, contact your Representative or Senators, or make a donation to support our advocacy efforts.

For media inquiries about this executive order or U.S. refugee resettlement, please contact Asylum Access Communications Coordinator Gayatri Ganapathy at 510-891-8700.