Topics in the News: Refugee Crisis

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Oct 31, 2021)
Climate change not tomorrow's problem; it's today's problem

There is, increasingly, I think an understanding that we're seeing every single day storms, droughts, all sorts of natural occurrences that have been exacerbated by climate change, conflict driven by climate change, refugees driven by climate change, fights over resources driven by climate change. This is not tomorrow's problem. This is today's problem, and I think there's a much greater consciousness of that. Click for Antony Blinken on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation 2021 interview of Secretary of State

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 3, 2021)
Refugee cap up from 15,000 to 62,500, but promised 125,000

PROMISE MADE: (JoeBiden.com website, 6/20/20): As President, I will increase the number of refugees we welcome into this country, setting an annual global refugee target of 125,000--up from a ceiling of 18,000 under Trump--and will seek to further raise it over time. I will support efforts to work with Congress in a bipartisan fashion to protect our refugee policy from drastic and arbitrary reductions we have seen during the Trump Administration.

PROMISE PARTLY KEPT: (WhiteHouse.gov, 5/3/21): I am revising the annual refugee admissions cap to 62,500. This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America's values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees. The new admissions cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States' capacity to admit refugees, so that we can reach the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions that I intend to set for the coming fiscal year.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: Campaign website versus Biden Administration promises

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2021)
Promised 125,000 refugees; but accepted fewer than Trump

PROMISE MADE: (Remarks by Pres. Biden on America's place in the world, 2/4/21): This executive order will position us to be able to raise the refugee admissions back up to 125,000 persons for the first full fiscal year of the Biden-Harris administration.

PROMISE CONFIRMED: (Proposed Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions, 2/12/21): This report proposes providing allocations by region, with a new FY 2021 admissions number of 62,500 refugees.

PROMISE BROKEN: (NBC News, 4/16/21): Biden will not increase the number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. this year. Biden notified Congress in February that he would increase the number of refugees allowed to enter the country from 15,000 to 62,500. But he never signed the presidential determination that would actually raise the cap. Analysis: Biden is on track to accept the fewest refugees this year of any modern president, including Trump.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: NPR on Biden Administration promises

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Feb 4, 2021)
Reverse ban on transgender individuals serving in military

To further repair our moral leadership, I'm issuing a presidential memo to agencies to reinvigorate our leadership on the LGBTQI issues and do it internationally. You know, we'll ensure diplomacy and foreign assistance are working to promote the rights of those individuals, included by combatting criminalization and protecting LGBTQ refugees and asylum-seekers.

And finally, to successfully reassert our diplomacy and keep Americans safe, prosperous, and free, we must restore the health and morale of our foreign policy institutions.

The United States will again lead not just by the example of our power but the power of our example. Within hours of taking office, I signed an executive order overturning the hateful, discriminatory Muslim ban; reversed the ban on transgender individuals serving in our military.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: Manchester Ink Link on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021)
Restore refugee admissions program: 125,000 people this year

We face a crisis of more than 80 million displaced people suffering all around the world. The United States' moral leadership on refugee issues was a point of bipartisan consensus for so many decades when I first got here. We shined the light of liberty on oppressed people. We offered safe havens for those fleeing violence or persecution. And our example pushed other nations to open wide their doors as well.

So today, I'm approving an executive order to begin the hard work of restoring our refugee admissions program to help meet the unprecedented global need. It's going to take time to rebuild what has been so badly damaged, but that's precisely what we're going to do.

This executive order will position us to be able to raise the refugee admissions back up to 125,000 persons for the first full fiscal year of the Biden-Harris administration. And I'm directing the State Department to consult with Congress about making a down payment on that commitment as soon as possible.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: Remarks by Pres. Biden on "America's Place in the World"

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021)
Revoke Trump's ban on refugees seeking asylum

PROMISE MADE: (Miami Herald OpEd, 6/24/19): Our asylum system needs to be improved--strengthen it so that it benefits legitimate claims of those fleeing persecution, while reducing potential for abuse.

PROMISE PARTLY KEPT: (Executive Order Feb. 4, 2021): Sec. 2. Revocation, Rescission, and Reporting. (a) Executive Order 13815 of October 24, 2017 (Resuming the United States Refugee Admissions Program With Enhanced Vetting Capabilities), and Executive Order 13888 of September 26, 2019 (Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement), are revoked.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: Biden undid Trump's cancellation of refugee admissions. That DOES "improve" the asylum system, compared to what Trump did, but Biden's bigger promise is to improve the asylum system compared to what Obama did before Trump--that improvement is yet to be seen.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: White House press release on Biden Promises

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021)
Opposes Vatican view of multicultural global resettlement

An element of tension between Francis's world view and that of the United States (and that of an influential part of Christianity in America) is the theological and social understanding of the epochal crisis of our time: migrants and refugees. On this issue there is little difference, and indeed a visible convergence, between the visions of the U.S. Bishops and Francis, except for implications of the implicit support of some Bishops for Donald Trump. But there are deeply rooted cultural differences. For Francis, the church and the world are in a process of global resettlement. If the American establishment sees a world of settlers and a nation colonized by Christians, Francis looks and sees a world of re-settlers.

Francis's embrace of migrants and refugees has consequences for the meaning of religious freedom in a multicultural and multireligious world. From this point of view, between Francis's Vatican and Biden's White House there is a greater convergence than in the recent past.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues. Source: Biden and Catholicism, by Massimo Faggioli, p. 74-75

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021)
Both Church and world in process of global resettlement

On the epochal crisis of our time--migrants and refugees--there is a visible convergence, between the visions of the U.S. Bishops and Francis, except for implications of the implicit support of some Bishops for Donald Trump['s anti-immigrant policies]. But there are deeply rooted cultural differences. For Francis, as a Latin American Jesuit, the church and the world are in a process of global resettlement. If the American establishment sees a world of settlers and a nation colonized by Christians, Francis looks and sees a world of re-settlers. In Francis's moral imagination, the language of "dialogue" is far more useful than that of identity. Francis's embrace of migrants and refugees also means the acceptance of some other types of "migrations" (cultural, theological, and moral) in the church and in the public square, with important consequences for the framing of other theological forms and "public" issues, like the meaning of religious freedom in a multicultural and multireligious world. Click for Pope Francis on other issues. Source: Biden and Catholicism, by Massimo Faggioli, p. 74-75

Alejandro Mayorkas on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jan 10, 2021)
Views himself as a proud member of the Jewish community

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations, said that Mayorkas "discussed his personal connection to the Jewish story of America--as a refugee from Cuba and his parents as refugees from Europe." He mentioned his current membership at Adas Israel Congregation. Mayorkas "views himself as a proud member of the Jewish community," noted Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union's executive director for public policy. Click for Alejandro Mayorkas on other issues. Source: Forward magazine on DHS Secretary Confirmation Hearings

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Jul 12, 2020)
Supports a Palestinian right of return, and a single state

We reaffirm the right and feasibility of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel.
We acknowledge the significant challenges of equity and restitution this policy would encounter and call on the U.S. government to make resolution of these challenges a central goal of our diplomacy in the region.
We support a U.S. foreign policy that promotes the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis on the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan as the national home of both peoples, with Jerusalem as its capital.
We encourage a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to begin the long process of negotiation, laying the groundwork for such a single-state constitution.

Click for Howie Hawkins on other issues. Source: Green Party Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 12, 2020)
All seeking asylum should be given permanent resident status

All persons fleeing political, racial, religious, or other types of persecution must be welcomed and given permanent resident status. The history of arbitrary denial of political asylum claims must be ended. Particular attention should be given to those minorities who are political exiles and refugees and those whose lives would be at risk if asylum is not granted.

We oppose the militarization of our borders, (mis)using the National Guard as border police, and building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. We call for the immediate dismantling of the border wall. We mourn the death of those thousands of men, women and children who have died trying to cross this border, where a couple of decades ago such deaths were virtually unheard of.

Click for Howie Hawkins on other issues. Source: Green Party Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful

Stacey Abrams on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 9, 2020)
States' refugee resettlement refusal is emulated globally

Nations watch what we do, and they emulate to our behavior, even now. America's authority to question Russian president Vladimir Putin's treatment of dissidents weakened when President Trump refused to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder of an American resident and journalist. International calls to accept refugees from Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere go unanswered when the Trump administration offers individual states the right to refuse resettlement. To the extent that they are emulating the behavior of America and the erosion of democracy is not a permanent good. Click for Stacey Abrams on other issues. Source: Our Time Is Now, by Stacey Abrams, p.240-1

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values May 1, 2020)
Blessing to be born here; this is the best country on Earth

My parents are both immigrants and they were welcomed here to the United States. My dad was welcomed as a refugee, and that, I'm sure, made a big difference in his life and a big difference in my mom's life, in how they integrated and how they felt about America as a country. And that was instilled in me as a child where I understood what a blessing it was to be born in this country, and how much better off we have it than so many other countries in the world. This is the best country on earth. Click for Justin Amash on other issues. Source: Reason magazine on 2020 presidential hopefuls

Deval Patrick on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 6, 2020)
Allowed MA to shelter Central American refugee children

I remember once we had a crisis at the southern border in the last year I was in office, where all these unaccompanied children were coming across, some as young as four, five years old, fleeing violence in Central America. And the authorities were overwhelmed.

And I remember that President Obama asked a number of governors if we would shelter the children for a period of time while they were being processed as refugees. And I agreed to do so. We had the facilities. We had done it before. And I explained my reasoning to the people of Massachusetts as being based in both patriotism and faith, patriotism, because this country has given shelter to desperate children for a very long time.

One time we didn't, we turned a shipload of Jewish children back to the Holocaust. It's been a blight on our national reputation ever since, as I fear the separation of children at the southern border will be.

Click for Deval Patrick on other issues. Source: CNN N. H. Town Hall on eve of 2020 N. H. primary

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Sep 4, 2019)
Grant refuge to those severely impacted by climate change

What if we started there given the fact that they just got pounded by the largest storm they have ever seen? What if we offered temporary protective status to anyone in the Bahamas who wants to seek shelter and refuge here in the United States? Honor our own asylum laws in the best traditions of this country of immigrants and asylum seekers and refugees and allow them to apply for asylum and included as a permissible part of the application, those who have been impacted by climat Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: Climate Crisis Town Hall (CNN 2019 Democratic primary)

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 31, 2019)
I'm proud to be first governor to accept Syrian refugees

We have to make America what it's always been, a place of refuge. We got to boost the number of people we accept. I'm proud of being the first governor saying send us your Syrian refugees. I'm proud to have been the first governor to stand up against Donald Trump's Muslim ban. I'm proud to have sued him 21 times and beat him 21 times in a row. Click for Jay Inslee on other issues. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (second night in Detroit)

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Jul 30, 2019)
We don't just tolerate our differences, we embrace them

Q: How do you heal President Trump's racial divide?

O'ROURKE: We'll call his racism out for what it is, and also talk about its consequences. It is changing this country. Hate crimes are in the rise--every single one of the last three years. We must ensure that we don't just tolerate or respect our differences, but we embrace them. That's what we've learned in El Paso, my hometown. One of the safest cities in the US, not despite, but because it's a city of immigrants & asylum seekers & refugees.

Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 30, 2019)
Xenophobia demonizes immigrants; refugees aren't criminals

Q: You want to provide undocumented immigrants free health care and free college. Why won't this drive even more people to come to the U.S. illegally?

SANDERS: No, because we'll have strong border protections. But the main point I want to make is that what Trump is doing through his racism and his xenophobia, is demonizing a group of people. And as president, I will end that demonization. If a mother and a child walk thousands of miles on a dangerous path, in my view, they are not criminals. They are people fleeing violence. And we've got to ask ourselves, "Why are people walking 2,000 miles to a strange country where they don't know the language?" So what we will do, the first week we are in the White House, is bring the entire hemisphere together to talk about how we rebuild Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador so people do not have to flee their own countries.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 16, 2019)
Support economic development to stem tide of refugees

Sestak said, "They are fleeing drug cartels and violence and poor economies and other things," of migrant flows across the southern border. "The way we did it, for example, with the Marshall Plan in 1948, our military stopped Germany, but we fixed fascism by making sure there are some economic development there. We should be working with OAS to be down there and help development, because that is the primary cause of it and where it is all coming from." Click for Joe Sestak on other issues. Source: Breitbart.com on 2020 Democratic 2020 Veepstakes

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 9, 2019)
2017: denounced Trump's refuges policy as "Muslim ban"

Kamala Harris is often credited with using the term "Muslim Ban" in connection of Trump's order to stop Muslim refugees from seeking asylum in the United States. In her statement, she begins by saying, " Make no mistake, this is a Muslim Ban" She explained that those Muslims running to America for safety may become tools in the hands of terrorists if they are rejected. In closing her speech, she said that refugees do not make America less safe, instead they add to the economy. Click for Kamala Harris on other issues. Source: The Democrats, by Alexander Moore, p.207

John Delaney on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 7, 2019)
Treat those who cross our borders with measure of dignity

I wouldn't decriminalize border crossings, but I would make it illegal to separate children from their families. We have to treat people who cross our borders with a measure of dignity. It has to be reflective of our values. We need comprehensive immigration reform. We need to fix what's going on in those Central American countries. Unless we do things to rebuild civil society in the three Central American countries, we're going to continue to have this refugee crisis. Click for John Delaney on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation interviews in 2019

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 6, 2019)
Expand involvement of the Office of Refugee Resettlement

We need to expand the involvement of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to better match migrants with host families in the United States, as many U.S. families are willing to open their homes to such people in need. We are a caring country. Finally, we need immigration reform. I will engage on this immediately, similar to what I supported in past bi-partisan efforts by Senators McCain and Kennedy, to get our undocumented residents on a path to citizenship with border security measures, as appropriate. Click for Joe Sestak on other issues. Source: Twitter posting on 2020 Democratic primary

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jul 4, 2019)
Father immigrated as Palestinian refugee

When my dad was 16, America welcomed him as a Palestinian refugee. It wasn't easy moving to a new country, but it was the greatest blessing of his life.

Throughout my childhood, my dad would remind my brothers and me of the challenges he faced before coming here and how fortunate we were to be Americans. In this country, he told us, everyone has an opportunity to succeed regardless of background.

My parents, both immigrants, were Republicans. I supported Republican candidates throughout my early adult life and then successfully ran for office as a Republican. The Republican Party, I believed, stood for limited government, economic freedom and individual liberty--principles that had made the American Dream possible for my family.

Click for Justin Amash on other issues. Source: Washington Post OpEd by 2020 Presidential hopefuls

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019)
Keep asylum laws; let refugees apply from home countries

We should follow our asylum laws that are on the books. I think that asylum seekers should be able to apply from their home countries, without having to make that journey by foot in the first place, it will ensure that they are following our laws and it will guarantee greater safety and reduce suffering for them. Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019)
No to "open borders"; increase number of refugees admitted

We can take in 110,000 refugees annually. Right now, we're only taking in between 30,000 and 40,000 refugees, I would like to see that go up to the statutory limit. Nobody has called for unlimited number of people coming to this country, but I do believe that we should expand that significantly. I refuse to believe, because it's not true, that the people that are coming because they're desperate, lot of them women and children, represent some sort of national security threat. Click for Julian Castro on other issues. Source: ABC This Week 2019 interview series

Vladimir Putin on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 27, 2019)
Praised Trump for stopping migrants and drugs from Mexico

Mr. Putin branded Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to admit more than 1m refugees to Germany, mainly from war-ravaged Syria, as a "cardinal mistake". But he praised Donald Trump for trying to stop the flow of migrants and drugs from Mexico. "This liberal idea presupposes that nothing needs to be done. That migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected." Click for Vladimir Putin on other issues. Source: Financial Times on Foreign Influencers

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Jun 26, 2019)
No war with Iran: it would escalate region-wide

I served in the war in Iraq at the height of the war in 2005, a war that took over 4,000 of my brothers and sisters in uniforms' lives. The American people need to understand that this war with Iran would be far more devastating, far more costly than anything that we ever saw in Iraq. It would take many more lives. It would exacerbate the refugee crisis.

And it wouldn't be just contained within Iran. This would turn into a regional war. This is why it's so important that every one of us, every single American, stand up and say no war with Iran. We need to get back into the Iran nuclear agreement, and we need to negotiate how we can improve it.

Obviously, if there was an attack against American troops, then there would have to be a response. But a war with Iran is incredibly dangerous. Trump needs to get back into the Iran nuclear deal and swallow his pride, put the American people first.

Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues. Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 23, 2019)
Close asylum loopholes: 90% don't show up in court

Q: What is to be done about asylum seekers who enter the country as refugees?

Pence: We want to end the days where people believe they can come into the country, make a claim of asylum from oppression or deprivation or violence in Central America or elsewhere, and then be released into the country on their own recognizance, only to vanish into the nation with 90% of the people never show up for their hearing in the months ahead. We have got to close the loopholes.

Q: I don't think that that number is accurate about 90 percent not showing up. I think a majority do show up.

Pence: People with a hearing that is scheduled six months, a year, 18 months later, the overwhelming majority, plus-90 percent, don't show up.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: CNN State of the Union 2019 interview

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 14, 2019)
Treat asylum seekers with respect; repair home countries

I would treat every asylum-seeker with the dignity and respect they deserve as human beings. I would resource the Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, the Office of Refugee Resettlement commensurate with the need they face. I would also go to the heart of the problem and ensure that we're working with partner nations in the Western Hemisphere to reduce violence at home and try to ensure that they don't have to make that 2,000-mile journey in the first place. Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 22, 2019)
Met with Syrian president; for "extreme vetting" of Syrians

Key criticisms of Gabbard:

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting: In what her office called a "fact-finding" mission, Gabbard made a secret trip to Syria in Jan.2017 and met with Assad. There are questions about the Arab American organization that funded the trip. She has also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
"Extreme vetting" vote: She voted with congressional Republicans on an Obama-era bill that would place "extreme vetting" measures on Iraqi and Syrian refugees.

Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues. Source: Axios.com on 2020 Democratic primary

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2019)
Reverse Muslim ban; Marshall Plan for Central America

In a Medium post, Castro outlined his extensive immigration policy, which includes reversing Trump policies such as the Muslim ban, spending on a southern border wall and cuts to refugee programs. Castro proposed a 21st Century Marshall Plan for Central America to focus on stabilizing the countries with the largest number of migrants coming to the U.S.

Castro wants an overhaul of the pathway to citizenship for immigrants, especially for DACA recipients. He criticized a policy shift under President George W. Bush that allows immigrants to be charged in the criminal court rather than civil. Castro wants to split ICE in half, and keep "national security functions such as human and drug trafficking and anti-terrorism investigations within the Department of Homeland Security."

Click for Julian Castro on other issues. Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 21, 2019)
Intervene in refugees' home countries; reform asylum process

We should be making sure that those countries that are going through crises that are causing all this immigration that we're doing more to intervene, to support human rights and basic dignity in those countries. That's a lower cost way to deal with it than to have the horrors of these families with small children trying to make thousands of miles journey to come through our borders. At our border, we need to make sure that we have an asylum system that actually works. Click for Cory Booker on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interviews of presidential hopefuls

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 14, 2019)
Against Muslim ban; not afraid of diversity

We are not afraid of diversity in the state of Washington. We relish it. It is the basis of our economic and cultural success. We're built as a state of immigrants. We've welcomed refugees, as we did the Vietnamese refugees, with a Republican governor back in the day. I was the first governor to say that our state was willing to take Syrian refugees. That's why I was the first governor to come out against the Muslim ban. That's why we've sued Donald Trump and won 18 times in a row. Click for Jay Inslee on other issues. Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview of 2020 presidential hopefuls

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 11, 2019)
21st century Marshall Plan for Central and Latin America

We need a 21st century Marshall Plan for Central and Latin America, because the problem is that folks can't find safety and opportunity in Honduras or El Salvador or Guatemala [the "Northern Triangle" which is the source of most refugees top the U.S.]. If we can partner with those countries so that people can find safety and opportunity there, instead of having to come and knock on the door of the United States, you know, that's what they want. That is going to be better for those countries. Click for Julian Castro on other issues. Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 9, 2019)
Refugees can't come in; sorry, we're full

With his recent speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition, Trump insinuated that American Jews have dual loyalties, specifically when he referred to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as "your prime minister." Yet even more offensive was Trump's xenophobic rhetoric on immigration, uttered before an audience of Jews, an ethnic group that was victimized by immigration xenophobia during the Holocaust.

Specifically, in referring to refugees seeking asylum in America from political persecution in their native lands, Trump stated, "You can't come in. Our country is full. What can we do? We can't handle any more. Our country's full. You can't come in, I'm sorry."

These were literally the exact words antisemitic public officials used to justify America denying entry to European Jews fleeing Nazi extermination during the Holocaust.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues. Source: InsiderNJ.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 1, 2019)
Help refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

O'Rourke argued that to solve America's problems at the border, America's leaders must "help people in Central America where they are." In so doing, he began laying a foundation to effectively rebut Donald Trump on his signature issue: immigration.

O'Rourke's competitors are right to demand a fairer & more humane system for evaluating asylum claims. But an improved asylum system won't reduce the number of people fleeing violence in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador--Central America's "Northern Triangle." To the contrary, the better chance migrants have of gaining asylum, the more likely they are to seek it.

By addressing the roots of the migration problem, O'Rourke's proposal evades Trump's trap. The migrant "caravans" that Trump demonizes hail from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, where a brutal fight between organized-crime cartels has driven violence to levels that are unprecedented outside a war zone. American aid can reduce this violence and the migration it creates.

Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: The Atlantic Magazine on 2020 Democratic primary

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 1, 2019)
Stop refugee issue by dealing with what's driving them here

In his formal announcement, the former Texas congressman offered one of the most important policy proposals of the nascent presidential campaign: He argued that to solve America's problems at the border, America's leaders must "help people in Central America where they are." In so doing, he began laying a foundation to effectively rebut Donald Trump on his signature issue: immigration. Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues. Source: The Atlantic, "Trump's Trap," on 2020 presidential hopefuls

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 14, 2019)
Due process & right to counsel, for asylum seekers

My first bill in the United States Senate was Access to Counsel Act to ensure that nobody would be denied access to counsel when they're going through these hearings around refugee status and around asylum. I disagree with any policy that would turn America's back on people who are fleeing harm. I would not enforce a law that would reject people and turn them away without giving them a fair and due process to determine if we should give them asylum and refuge. Click for Kamala Harris on other issues. Source: NPR Morning Edition: Election 2020 Special Series

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Mar 1, 2019)
Welcome Syrian refugees

Inslee supports refugees' rights, and has focused on people displaced by the conflict in Syria. Inslee wrote a letter to the State Department last year after U.S. airstrikes in Syria in which he criticized the Trump administration's restrictive refugee policies. Click for Jay Inslee on other issues. Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 16, 2019)
Refugee policy is an embarrassment

[In Germany, Biden said] "The America I see values basic human decency, not snatching children from their parents or turning our back on refugees at our border. Americans know that's not right." The former vice president told the Munich Security Conference, "The American people understand plainly that this makes us an embarrassment. The American people know, overwhelmingly, that it is not right. That it is not who we are." Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: Washington Examiner on 2020 Democratic primary hopefuls

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2019)
Welcome refugees and immigrants, instead of a border wall

The State of the Union has always been a chance for our President to rise above politics and unite the country with a vision that includes ALL Americans.

We need our leaders to speak the biggest truth of all: In the face of powerful forces that have been trying to sow hate and division among us, the truth is that as Americans we have much more in common than what separates us.

Let's fight for an America where we welcome refugees and immigrants, and where we fight for the dignity of all people-- no matter who they are, no matter what they look like or how they identify.

I want you all to listen closely [to Trump's State of the Union]. When you hear claims that our problems would all be solved if we just built a wall on our southern border, don't forget the babies ripped from their mothers' arms and the refugees fleeing violence who are being turned away.

The strength of our union has never been found in the walls we build. It's in our diversity and our unity--and that is our power.

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues. Source: Democratic prebuttal to the 2019 State of the Union speech

Howard Schultz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 18, 2019)
Hire 10,000 refugees from Trump's Muslim-ban countries

As a chief executive, Schultz cast himself as a compassionate leader who wanted to use his company for social good. He earned praise for the benefits he provided Starbucks retail workers, including a stock ownership plan and the opportunity to attend college free online.

When Trump announced a ban on U.S. visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries in January 2017, Schultz announced a company goal of hiring 10,000 refugees in stores around the world.

Click for Howard Schultz on other issues. Source: Washington Post on 2020 presidential hopefuls

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 13, 2019)
Compassion for refugees, pathway for those here

This policy of separating children from their parents and the terrible way that Customs and Border Protection has managed its responsibilities, including the deaths of two children within the last few weeks. That's a real tragedy. I don't believe that we should have family detention for people that are seeking asylum or refugee status, so that we should develop other ways to ensure that people are processed, that we're able to keep track of them in the country. I would make sure that we push as hard as possible for comprehensive immigration reform so that for the people who are already here, if they've been law abiding, if they pay a fine, that they can get an earned path to citizenship. Click for Julian Castro on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interviews: 2020 Democratic primary

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 25, 2018)
Focus on refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

When President Trump signed an executive order ending the separation of children from their families at the border, it did not end the crisis in Central America. Nor should it relieve our moral anguish at seeing the poorest and most vulnerable treated in ways that are fundamentally at odds with our nation's values.

The moment also calls for a renewed focus on the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America--the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which together represent the overwhelming source of migrants crossing our southern border. Unless we address the root causes driving migration from this region, any solutions focused solely on border protection and enforcement will be insufficient.

In 2014, [Pres. Obama and I saw that] migration from Central America could not be resolved merely by stronger enforcement at the US border, let alone by building a wall. Instead, we needed to tackle the drivers of migration: crime, violence, corruption and lack of opportunity.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues. Source: Joe Biden OpEd in Washington Post (2020 Democratic primary)

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 6, 2018)
Allies directly affected should repatriate Syrian refugees

President Trump deserves credit for improving on President Obama's strategy against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in Syria and Iraq. Now that the terrorists' strongholds have been all but eliminated, the only remaining core U.S. interest at stake is preventing ISIS from using those countries to mount future attacks against us. That mission does not require a major commitment of U.S. combat troops. With our help, allies whose interests are more directly affected than our own--such as Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and European countries--should take the lead in mitigating the continuing but reduced threat from ISIS and in repatriating Syrian refugees.

Going forward, we need to be much more careful and focused about how we fight terrorism. We have to develop better criteria for when to intervene abroad. And when we do intervene, we need clearer guidelines about what kinds of resources to commit--for example, combat troops versus military trainers.

Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs

Michael Bennet on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 24, 2018)
America is a unique place for refugees to succeed

There is not an immigrant in Colorado that has a thicker accent than my grandparents had. And there was nobody I ever met who were greater patriots than my grandparents. They loved this country. And they were astonished by our political system, by our commitment to pluralism, by their ability to rebuild their shattered lives in the United States, and they truly believe they could never have done it anywhere else. I think a lot about them when we're having these immigration conversations. Click for Michael Bennet on other issues. Source: The Atlantic, "Immigration," on 2020 Democratic primary

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 25, 2017)
Take better care of refugees driven from their land

Pope Francis called for the world to take better care of millions of migrants "driven from their land"--a subtle hit at President Donald Trump in the pope's annual Christmas address.

Speaking in St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope Francis, the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics across the world, brought his attention to the migrant crisis occurring throughout the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The pope compared the plight of more than 22 million refugees worldwide to that of Joseph and Mary, who traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem but found no lodging, a timeless parable of unwelcome travelers.

President Trump has tried to keep refugees out of the U.S., signing a number of restrictions on those seeking asylum from war-torn countries like Yemen, Syria and Iraq. Trump often argues that allowing refugees from these countries into the U.S. could increase the risk of terrorism, but he has also accepted far fewer Christian refugees than in prior years.

Click for Pope Francis on other issues. Source: Newsweek magazine, "Christmas Message"

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 21, 2017)
UN is bureaucratic, but does enormously important work

One of the most important organizations for promoting a vision of a different world is the United Nations. It has become fashionable to bash the UN. And yes, the UN needs to be reformed. It can be ineffective, bureaucratic, too slow or unwilling to act, even in the face of massive atrocities, as we are seeing in Syria right now. But to see only its weaknesses is to overlook the enormously important work the UN does in promoting global health, aiding refugees, monitoring elections, and doing international peacekeeping missions, among other things. All of these activities contribute to reduced conflict, to wars that don't have to be ended because they never start.

At the end of the day, it is obvious that it makes far more sense to have a forum in which countries can debate their concerns, work out compromises and agreements. Dialogue and debate are far preferable to bombs, poison gas, and war.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: Westminster College speech in Where We Go From Here, p. 98-9

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Aug 29, 2017)
Rising oceans creating world's first "climate refugees"

Rising oceans are already creating the world's first "climate refugees." Residents of the Maldives are abandoning some of the lower-lying islands as the ocean rises. Closer to home, residents of Isle de Jean Charles in southeastern Louisiana, are preparing to leave as their land disappears.

Unless we drastically change course in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures will continue to rise. Millions of people will be displaced by rising sea levels, extreme weather events, & flooding.

The growing scarcity of basic human needs could well lead to perpetual warfare in regions around the world, as people fight over limited supplies of water, farmland, and other natural resources. A world in which we see mass migrations of people is not going to be a safe or stable world. That's not just my opinion--that is the opinion of leading national security experts in our country and throughout the world. Yes, climate change is our nation's great national security threat.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: Guide to Political Revolution, by Bernie Sanders, p.127-30

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 27, 2017)
2015: Favor Christian over Islamic refugees

She was one of 47 Democrats to join the GOP in passing the SAFE Act in 2015, which would have added extra requirements to the refugee vetting process [affecting] the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the country. She introduced a resolution calling for the United States to prioritize religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East -- namely, Christians and Yezidis -- when granting refugee status. "These persecuted religious minority groups must be our first priority," she said. She seems to have somewhat softened her stances recently. She came out against Trump's refugee and travel bans, for example. Around the same time, Gabbard spoke at an event held by the group Muslims for Peace, in which she uncharacteristically spoke of "so-called religious terrorism" and affirmed that "the perpetrators of these horrific actions have no connection with the spiritual love that lies at the heart of all religions." Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues. Source: Jacobin Mag., "Not your friend": 2020 presidential hopefuls

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 24, 2017)
Vocal advocate for the plight of refugees

The pope is a passionate and vocal advocate for the plight of refugees, and he believes that man-made climate change is a critical problem that must be addressed by world leaders. Trump, on the other hand, has tried to temporarily ban all refugees from the United States, called climate change a hoax created by the Chinese, and wants to back out of the Paris climate accords. Click for Pope Francis on other issues. Source: Vox.com on 2020 Presidential Hopefuls, "Trump-Pope Meeting"

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 29, 2017)
Refugee ban: What we did was take a pause

Q: What do you think of the administration curtailing immigration from Muslim-majority countries.

HALEY: I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants. I believe that the fabric of America is legal immigration. This is not about not wanting people in. This is about keeping the terrorists out. We should never ban based on religion, I mean, period. We should never. And I don't think that's what this is. We will never close our doors in the United States. We won't. But what we did do was take a pause.

Click for Nikki Haley on other issues. Source: Council on Foreign Relations on Trump Cabinet

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 6, 2017)
Protect America by banning refugees from terrorist countries

The Trump administration today announced a new Muslim ban executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry". [The original Jan. 2017 order reduces to 50,000 the annual number of refugees allowed from 7 Muslim countries, and sets the number allowed from Syria to zero. After a court found that unconstitutional, the March 2017 order replaced the list of 7 countries with Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, for 90 days]. The director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project had this reaction:

"The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws. The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban. Instead, Pres. Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination. The changes the Trump administration has made completely undermine the bogus national security justifications the president has tried to hide behind.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues. Source: ACLU Fact-Check of Trump Administration promises & actions

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 12, 2017)
Refugee vetting mechanisms we have now are very, very strong

Q: Do you think the current procedures that we have to vet refugees coming into this country, do you think it needs to be improved?

SANDERS: The vetting mechanisms we have now are very, very strong. If anybody has an idea as to how we can make them stronger, let's go forward. I don't think there's any debate whether you're progressive, conservative or anybody else that we want to keep the United States safe and we want to be 100% clear that anybody who comes into this country should not be coming into this country to do us harm. Where there's a whole lot of discussion about the racist, in my view, immigration policies of the Trump administration which are based on anti-Muslim ideology, which are doing us enormous harm all over the world, something else is going on at the exact same moment.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: Meet the Press 2017 interview by Chuck Todd

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2017)
Travel ban is constitutional & judges shouldn't overturn it

Q: Is there a danger to the U.S. now that these banned immigrants and refugees are again allowed to travel to the U.S.? And what do you think about the federal appeals court's decision not to allow the travel ban?

PENCE: President Trump has made it clear that he is going to put the safety and security of the American people first. And the executive order that he signed suspending travel from countries that have been compromised by terror is consistent with that objective, and also it's consistent with his powers as president.

Q: But a federal court of appeals--

PENCE: We believe the judge made the wrong decision. We're going to continue to use all legal means at our disposal to stay that order and move forward to take the steps necessary to protect our country. We don't appoint judges to our district courts to conduct foreign policy or to make decisions about the national security. That authority belongs to the president of the United States.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: Fox News Sunday 2017 interview by Chris Wallace

Bill de Blasio on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 29, 2017)
Detaining Muslim travelers is simply un-American

Q: You oppose Donald Trump's new executive orders on immigration and refugee policy. The NYC airports were chaotic; was there any guidance about this new policy?

DE BLASIO: No, there was no guidance. And that's why there is so much confusion here. But let's be clear. President Trump's executive order is simply un-American. It is suggesting that people's civil liberties can be taken away, even if they are green card holders,. I have read this executive order. It makes no distinction if someone is already recognized on the pathway to citizenship. It makes no distinction if you have served in the U.S. military previously. You still can be detained. In this country, the notion of detention without due process, without probable cause, violates our constitutional norms. And the exception for individuals suggests, bluntly, non-Muslims: that should be very, very worrisome, as the first step towards a Muslim registry, which, again, would be un-American and unacceptable.

Click for Bill de Blasio on other issues. Source: CNN "State of the Union" 2017 interview by Jake Tapper

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 19, 2016)
Vet immigrants; ask Muslim-Americans to help us

Q: What about Syrian refugees and Donald Trump's complaint that letting them in would be a "Trojan horse" for terrorists?

CLINTON: I am not going to let anyone into this country who is not vetted. We are going to be very careful, thorough vetting. That does not solve our internal challenges with ISIS and our need to stop radicalization, to work with American Muslim communities who are on the front lines to identify and prevent attacks.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: Third 2016 Presidential Debate moderated by Fox News

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 9, 2016)
Should admit carefully vetted war refugees on moral grounds

Q: Why take the risk of having Syrian refugees come into the country?

A: First of all, I will not let anyone into our country that I think poses a risk to us. But there are a lot of refugees, women & children--think of that picture we all saw of that 4-year-old boy with the blood on his forehead because he'd been bombed by the Russian and Syrian air forces. We need to do our part. We by no means are carrying anywhere near the load that Europe and others are. But we will have vetting that is as tough as it needs to be from our intelligence experts and others. It is important for us not to say, as Trump has said, "we're going to ban people based on a religion." We are a country founded on religious freedom and liberty. How do we do what he has advocated without causing great distress within our own country? What he said was extremely unwise and even dangerous. You can look at the propaganda on a lot of the terrorists sites, and what Trump says about Muslims is used to recruit fighters.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: Second 2016 Presidential Debate at WUSTL in St. Louis MO

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 9, 2016)
FactCheck: Yes, would increase Syrian refugees by 550%

Trump asserted that Hillary would increase Syrian refugee admissions "by 550%" -- is that accurate?

Yes, the current number of resettled Syrian refugees in the U.S. is 10,000 and Hillary proposes an increase the number to 65,000, which is indeed a 550% increase.

President Obama set a limit of 10,000 Syrian refugees for 2016, which Hillary Clinton called "a good start" on a goal of 65,000, who would be admitted after a vetting process that takes 18-24 months. A group of fourteen Senate Democrats called for the 65,000 figure in mid-2015. The total number of refugees is currently about 4.5 million, most of whom reside in temporary refugee camps. About 160,000 have been permanently re-settled worldwide, including 40,000 in Germany, 40,000 in Sweden, 31,000 elsewhere in Europe, and 10,000 in the U.S. [Sources: Al Jazeera 1/28/16 and Amnesty International and Oxfam reports]

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: OnTheIssues Fact-Checking on 2016 presidential hopefuls

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 4, 2016)
Trump for extreme vetting of immigrants and no Syrians

Q: Does the Trump/Pence campaign call for barring Syrian refugees?

A: Trump has called for extreme vetting for people coming into this country so that we don't bring people into the United States who are hostile to the American way life. Donald Trump and I are committed to suspending the Syrian refugee program and programs and immigration from areas of the world that have been compromised by terrorism.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016)
Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

KAINE: Mike Pence put a program in place to keep refugees out if they're from Syria. And yesterday an appellate court with three Republican judges struck down the Pence plan and said it was discriminatory.

PENCE: Right. Those judges said it was because there wasn't any evidence yet that ISIS had infiltrated the United States. Well, Germany just arrested three Syrian refugees that were connected to ISIS.

KAINE: But they told you there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.

PENCE: Look, if you're going to be critical of me on that, that's fair game. I will tell you, after two Syrian refugees were involved in the attack in Paris that is called Paris' 9/11, as governor of the state of Indiana, I have no higher priority than the safety and security of the people of my state. So you bet I suspended that program. And I stand by that decision. And if I'm vice president of the United States or Donald Trump is president, we're going to put the safety and security of the American people first.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016)
Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

KAINE: But they told you there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Sep 21, 2016)
Talked about refugees to Grover on "Sesame Street"

@ABlinken on Twitter: This school year, some kids will have new classmates: refugees. @Grover & I discuss how to make them feel welcome in their new communities. Click for Antony Blinken on other issues. Source: @ABlinken Twitter posting: Biden Cabinet

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 21, 2016)
Temporarily suspend immigration from terrorist havens

"I am very supportive of Donald Trump's call to temporarily suspend immigration from countries where terrorists represent a threat to the United States," Pence said. Pence insisted that "we got to do something different." "The American people need to know who these people are. We have a proud tradition of refugee resettlement in my own state of Indiana -- but that has to be subordinated to the safety and security of the American people." Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: Fox News on 2016 Veepstakes, "Pence echoes Trump"

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 15, 2016)
Bar refugees from terrorist-ridden regions

Border security is national security. Cruz introduced two bills to protect Americans from an influx of refugees who could be a national security risk, including legislation barring refugees from terrorist-ridden regions and legislation to recognize governors' authority to protect the citizens in their states by rejecting to resettle refugees in their state. Click for Ted Cruz on other issues. Source: 2016 presidential campaign website TedCruz.org

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Feb 11, 2016)
America stands for hope; we should take Syrian refugees

CLINTON: This is a humanitarian catastrophe. The US has to support our allies in Europe. We have to provide financial support. We have to provide the NATO support to back up the mission that is going on. And we have to take properly vetted refugees ourselves.

SANDERS: I went to a Turkish refugee camp on the border of Syria. What a sad sight: Men, women, children forced out of their homes. Turkey did a decent thing, providing reasonable housing and conditions for people. Given our history as a nation that has been a beacon of hope for the oppressed, for the downtrodden, that I very strongly disagree with those Republican candidates who say we've got to turn our backs on women and children who left their home with nothing. That is not what America is supposed to be about. I think that the entire world needs to come together to deal with this horrific refugee crisis.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin on Syrian Refugees

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 11, 2016)
Support our NATO allies and take vetted Syrian refugees

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin on Syrian Refugees

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Jan 14, 2016)
Americans who join ISIS forfeit their citizenship

We need is a commander in chief who is focused like a laser on keeping this country safe and on defeating radical Islamic terrorism. First, we should pass the Expatriate Terrorist Act, legislation I've introduced that says if an American goes and joins ISIS and wages jihad against America, that you forfeit your citizenship and you cannot come in on a passport. If I'm elected president, we will not let in refugees from countries controlled by ISIS or Al Qaida. Click for Ted Cruz on other issues. Source: Fox Business Republican 2-tier debate

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 14, 2016)
It's not fear of terrorist refugees; it's reality

It's not fear and terror, it's reality. When I look at the migration, I looked at the line, I said, where are the women? It looked like very few women. Very few children. Strong, powerful men, and people are looking at that and they're saying what's going on? We can't let people come into our country and break our borders. Click for Donald Trump on other issues. Source: Fox Business Republican 2-tier debate

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 12, 2016)
Don't follow the siren call of anti-immigration anger

During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.

No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.

At the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders. We can't do that. We cannot continue to allow immigrants to come here illegally. And in this age of terrorism, we must not let in refugees whose intentions cannot be determined.

Click for Nikki Haley on other issues. Source: Republican Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Dec 19, 2015)
Keep Syrian refugees; we're a nation of resolve, not of fear

Q: You have said that it would undermine who we are as Americans, shutting our doors. But you supporter, Gov. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), says, "we should halt acceptance of Syrian refugees until U.S. authorities can assure the vetting process." Is she wrong?

CLINTON: Well, I agree that we have to have the toughest screening and vetting.

Q: But a halt?

CLINTON: I don't think a halt is necessary. Now, [screening and vetting] takes 18 to 24 months. So everything that can be done should be done. But the process should move forward while we are also taking on ISIS. I do believe that we have a history and a tradition, that is part of our values system and we don't want to sacrifice our values. We don't want to make it seem as though we are turning into a nation of fear instead of a nation of resolve. I would prioritize widows, and orphans, and the elderly, people who may have relatives, families, or have nowhere else to go. I would prioritize them.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: 2015 ABC/WMUR Dem. debate in N.H. on Syrian Refugee crisis

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 15, 2015)
To defend against terrorism, we need to defend the border

PAUL: The one thing that might have stopped San Bernardino--that might have stopped 9/11--would have been stricter controls on those who came here. And Marco Rubio has opposed at every point increased border security for those who come to our country. On his Gang of Eight bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he steadfastly opposed any new border security requirements for refugees or students. Last week, I introduced another bill saying we need more security, we need more scrutiny. Once again, Marco opposed this.

RUBIO: What he's pointing to is an amendment that only 10 people voted for. You know why? Because it's not focused on terrorists. It would have banned anyone from coming here. Someone from Taiwan would not have been able to come here as a tourist.

PAUL: What I put forward was an amendment that would have temporarily halted immigration from high-risk terrorist countries. I wanted them to go through Global Entry, which is a program where we do background checks.

Click for Rand Paul on other issues. Source: 2015 CNN/Salem Republican two-tier debate

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Dec 10, 2015)
Ice-melt is literally creating climate refugees

[At the Paris climate talks] I led a bilateral conversation with Bangladesh, talking to peer leaders--the U.S. sitting down with Ministry and Parliamentary members from Bangladesh. By many estimates, Bangladesh is the most vulnerable large country to climate change. Due to climate change [including rising sea levels and ice-pack] melting off the Himalayas, right now Bangladesh is losing 1% of its arable land each year, displacing millions of Bangladeshis, literally creating climate refugees. Click for Cory Booker on other issues. Source: Library of Congress transcript of Senate Floor Speech

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Nov 29, 2015)
No-fly zone 1st priority, but ok with more aid for refugees

Q: Ben Carson is saying what we need to do is give more money to Jordan and other places to help Syrian refugees. Is that the answer?

KASICH: I don't mind if we give some humanitarian aid to the Jordanians or the Saudis if need be, but I've been for this no-fly zone so that we can have a sanctuary for people to be safe. And it was the Kurds and perhaps the Jordanians who could defend it. But the Russians have now deployed S-400 air defense system that threatens our ability to move around. The only thing you can do with that air defense system is to take it out. And of course that's very serious.

Q: You would take out a Russian air defense system?

KASICH: No, I think that we should proceed with moving forward on a no-fly zone. And I think we should proceed by putting boots on the ground and a coalition with Europeans and with our friends in the Middle East like we had in the first Gulf War to destroy ISIS once and for all.

Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: ABC This Week 2015 interview on Syrian Refugee crisis

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 22, 2015)
The way to keep us safe is NOT to keep outsiders out

Accept Syrian refugees? The desire for a middle ground was evident in interviews with some California candidates for the 2016 U.S. Senate contest.

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris said in an interview that she opposed the GOP measure because it set up an "untenable" system. Beyond the current 18-to-24 month vetting process, it would have required top federal officials to certify that individual refugees pose no threat. She recalled a heart-rending photo of a drowned Syrian toddler, part of a refugee family torn apart while trying to escape: "We can't allow the images of the tragedy of what happened in Paris to blind us to the image of a 3-year-old child who washed up on a Mediterranean beach." She said, "There is a drum beating, that the way to keep us safe is to keep outsiders out. That scares me. Ask native Americans: We are a country of immigrants." But, she added, "there's no question that we have to be vigilant."

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues. Source: LA Times, "Syrian Refugees?" on 2016 California Senate race

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 22, 2015)
Both refugees and visa waivers pose threat

Q: You made an effort this week to block Syrian refugees and people from other countries that you thought were dangerous. But the experts are more worried about the visa waivers, which is to say people who could come in through Europe. Why isn't that the bigger problem?

PAUL: It's all of the above. My bill would have addressed refugees, students, visitors and those who want to emigrate from countries that have significant jihadists movements. The Boston bombers also came here as refugees and became radicalized. So I think that for the president to say there's no danger is incorrect. But I do agree with those who say the visa waiver program is a problem. There are many French citizens who want to attack their government and attack us and we have no program for screening them. I say they should all come in through global entry, sort of a frequent flier program where you have to get background check or they have to wait 30 days.

Click for Rand Paul on other issues. Source: CBS Face the Nation 2015 coverage of Syrian Refugee crisis

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 22, 2015)
Need to keep database of Muslim refugees

Q: You did stir up a controversy with those comments about a database for all US Muslims--but are you now unequivocally now ruling out a database on all Muslims?

TRUMP: No, not at all. I want a database for the refugees that come into the country. We have no idea who these people are. When the Syrian refugees are going to start pouring into this country, we don't know if they're ISIS, we don't know if it's a Trojan horse.

And I definitely want a database and other checks and balances. We want to go with watchlists.

Q: Just for the record, though, the statistics do show the majority of the refugees coming in are women and children.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues. Source: ABC This Week 2015 interview on Syrian Refugee crisis

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 17, 2015)
Pause accepting Syrian refugees to create stringent checks

An issue that has sparked controversy is what to do about Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war there. The US has said it will accept 10,000 refugees but more than half of the country's governors, mostly Republicans, have expressed concern about refugees coming into their states. Kasich, who said just 2 months earlier that the US should accept refugees from Syria, sent a letter to Pres. Obama this week urging the federal government to not send any more Syrian refugees.

He acknowledged that as governor he does not have the ability to prevent refugees from moving to his state. "We don't have the authority; we can only express our concerns," Kasich said. "I'm criticized for having a big heart but I also have a big brain," he said.

He urged the federal government to "pause," and put in place stringent background checks before allowing Syrians to enter the US. He said refugees should be relocated to "safe zones" located on the borders of Turkey and Jordan and are protected by no fly zones.

Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls on Syrian Refugees by NBC News

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 17, 2015)
Welcome Syrian refugees and fight any bans

Sen. Cory Booker, rejecting arguments from Gov. Chris Christie and other Republicans, said Syrian refugees should be welcomed into the country. "It belies who we are as a nation to turn them away," Booker said. "It's an insult to our history. It's unacceptable to me."

In the wake of the Islamic State terrorist attacks in Paris, Christie and other Republican governors have said they won't accept any of at least 10,000 Syrian refugees that President Obama wants to allow to emigrate to the U.S. "I will fight anyone who wants to shut down this nation's open arms," Booker said.

Booker said that any refugee wanting to settle in the U.S. undergoes a background check of 18 months to two years. "There's a thorough vetting process,'' he said.

Booker was among the U.S. senators last month who supported emergency funding to help Syrian refugees. Booker was among the lawmakers in October who urged Obama to make it easier for refugees to reunite with relatives already in the U.S.

Click for Cory Booker on other issues. Source: Newark Star-Ledger, "Refugee Ban Belies Who We Are"

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 16, 2015)
No more Syrian refugees in Ohio or anywhere in USA

Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, doesn't want Ohio or the United States to accept more Syrian refugees. Spokesman Jim Lynch says the Republican presidential candidate is writing to ask President Barack Obama to stop resettling Syrian refugees in Ohio because safety and security issues can't adequately be addressed. Kasich also is reviewing steps Ohio might take to stop resettlement. Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 16, 2015)
Persecuted immigrants are welcome--but not Syrian refugees

Gov. Nikki Haley says she supports allowing persecuted immigrants to come to South Carolina--as long as they're not from Syria. Republicans in the state Legislature called on Haley to oppose all international refugees. But the Republican governor said as long as nothing changes in who is being resettled in the state, neither will her stance. Click for Nikki Haley on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Steve Bullock on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 16, 2015)
Don't let terrorists intimidate us to abandon our values

Gov. Steve Bullock said the state "will not allow any terrorist organization to intimidate us into abandoning our values." State officials are reviewing the existing protocols for considering refugee settlement requests and if there are any safety concerns, the refugees will be denied, he said. Click for Steve Bullock on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 16, 2015)
Washington state welcomes Syrian refugees

Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington state will welcome Syrian refugees. In a statement, Inslee also criticized other governors who have threatened to stop accepting refugees. Click for Jay Inslee on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Gina Raimondo on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 16, 2015)
Help settle Syrian refugees

Gov. Gina Raimondo said in September she's willing to help if the federal government asks Rhode Island to host Syrian refugees. Raimondo's spokeswoman says the governor would coordinate closely with the White House and law enforcement if the state receives a request now. Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 16, 2015)
Suspend the relocation of any more Syrian refugees

Republican Gov. Mike Pence announced that he was ordering state agencies to suspend the relocation of any more Syrian refugees to Indiana until he receives assurances from the federal government that proper security measures have been taken. Click for Mike Pence on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Steve Bullock on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 16, 2015)
Safety first; review protocols for Syrian refugees

Montana will not allow any terrorist organization to intimidate us into abandoning our values. The safety of Montanans is my top priority. No Syrian refugees have been settled in the state and we have had no formal requests to do so. Montana has a process in place for considering refugee settlement requests; we are reviewing those protocols to ensure that if a request comes, we take all appropriate steps to ensure that the safety of Montanans will not be jeopardized by their placement. Click for Steve Bullock on other issues. Source: KPAX-TV-8 on Syrian Refugees in 2016 Montana governor race

John Hickenlooper on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 16, 2015)
Stringent verification process for Syrian refugees

Colorado's governor isn't ruling out Syrian refugees. But Gov. John Hickenlooper says the federal government needs to make sure the verification process for refugees is "as stringent as possible." Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues. Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 14, 2015)
We should accept 65,000 Syrian refugees, vetted and screened

Q [to Gov. O'Malley]: How many Syrian refugees should the US take in?

Q: Secretary Clinton, how do you propose we screen those coming in to keep citizens safe?

CLINTON: I think that is the number one requirement. I also said that we should take increased numbers of refugees. The administration originally said 10. I said we should go to 65, but only if we have as careful a screening and vetting process as we can imagine, whatever resources it takes because I do not want us to, in any way, inadvertently allow people who wish us harm to come into our country.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: 2015 CBS Democratic primary debate on Syrian Refugees

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 14, 2015)
Moral responsibility to reach out to Syrian refugees

Q: You've been a little vague on what you would do about the Syrian refugees. What's your view on them now?

SANDERS: I believe that the US has the moral responsibility with Europe, with Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia to make sure that when people leave countries like Afghanistan and Syria with nothing more than the clothing on their back that, of course, we reach out. Now, what the magic number is, I don't know, because we don't know the extent of the problem. But I certainly think that the US should take its full responsibility in helping those people.

Q: Gov. O'Malley, you have a magic number. I think it's 65,000.

O'MALLEY: I was the first person on this stage to say that we should accept the 65,000 Syrian refugees that were fleeing the sort of murder of ISIL, and I believe that that needs to be done with proper screening. But accommodating 65,000 refugees in our country today, people of 320 million, is akin to making room for 6.5 more people in a baseball stadium with 32,000.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: 2015 CBS Democratic primary debate on Syrian Refugees

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Sep 24, 2015)
View refugees as persons; respond humanely

Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This present us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunity. If it's not what we want for our own children, we must not be taken aback by the numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays, to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. In a word, if we want security, let us give security. If we want life, let us give life. Click for Pope Francis on other issues. Source: Pope Francis' address to Congress during 2015 U.S. visit

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Sep 19, 2015)
End inhuman conditions when Mexican migrants come to U.S.

He strongly backs immigration reform. The pope has decried the "inhuman" conditions that migrants face coming to the U.S. from Mexico, and he's prodded Europe to accept more Syrian refugees. "I expect that Francis, in his address to Congress, will challenge our national conscience on immigration and remind us of the growing human toll resulting from our indifference and failures of political will," Jose H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, the nation's largest Catholic community, writes in an op-ed for today's Wall Street Journal. "In calling Americans to compassion and hospitality, he will also be calling us to reclaim our roots as a nation of immigrants and a refuge for the world's downtrodden."

Click for Pope Francis on other issues. Source: Washington Post coverage of Pope Francis' 2015 U.S. visit

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 13, 2015)
Address humanitarian crisis in Syria with allies in region

Q: The UN wants up to 65,000 Syrians placed here. How many refugees do you think the US should take in?

SANDERS: I think it's impossible to give a proper number until we understand the dimensions of the problem. What I do believe is that Europe, the United States and, by the way, countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, must address this humanitarian crisis. People are leaving Iraq, they're leaving Syria with just the clothes on their backs. The world has got to respond. The United States should be part of that response.

Q: When it comes to Syria, how much of the problem is the United States' fault, of policy, whether Bush in Iraq or Obama in Syria?

SANDERS: Look, I voted against the war in Iraq; much of what I feared would happen, in fact, did happen: Massive destabilization in that region. The issue now is not who is at fault. The issue is now what we do. And what we do is bring the region together.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues. Source: Meet the Press 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 13, 2015)
Syrian refugee situation is fundamentally a European crisis

Q: What about the refugee crisis as a result of the Syrian war? Do you support taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees this year?

KASICH: I support that. I think it's important that we don't let anybody infiltrate who's part of a radical group. But America needs to be part of this solution. It's fundamentally a European problem, but I think there are some things we can do. Beyond taking [in] these people, I think we can provide some logistical support so people aren't losing their lives. And in addition, maybe some humanitarian aid.

Q: And in the long run?

KASICH: We need to look at this as an opportunity to try to draw closer to our European friends. Finally, I think it's important that Europe and Western civilizations begin to stand up for their fundamental values, their primarily Jewish and Christian values, so that when these folks come, we can have assimilation. So they don't change us, but maybe in some way we either change them or live peacefully with them and we have full integration.

Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 6, 2015)
Refugee crisis is on Europe, but US also has responsibility

Q: Many are now calling for the United States to take in more Syrian refugees. Should we?

KASICH: Well, I think maybe this is an opportunity for the United States and the western world to work together to solve what is an unbelievable crisis. And I think we do have a responsibility in terms of taking some more folks in, making sure they assimilate, and at the same time helping people to actually be safe as they move. That's logistical support. But this is fundamentally an issue that Europe has to come to grips with. We can provide some humanitarian aid to them. But the bottom line is we should have been supporting the Syrian rebels years ago. I pitched Boehner and McCain on it, the administration ignored it. This thing could be over by now. But when the United States draws red lines and walks away without a solid policy, we see human tragedy unfolding right before our eyes.

Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: ABC This Week 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Sep 1, 2013)
No involvement in Syria, even if gas attack proven

Q: The intelligence suggests this was a sarin gas attack at the hands of the Assad government. Is that enough for you to now vote to authorize the president to use force?

PAUL: No. And I think it's a mistake to get involved in the Syrian civil war. I would ask, "Do you think that it's less likely or more likely that chemical weapons will be used again if we bomb Assad?" Is it more likely or less likely that we'll have more refugees in Jordan or that Israel might suffer attack? I think all of the bad things that you could imagine are all more likely if we get involved in the Syrian civil war.

Q: Secretary Kerry says for you and others not to authorize force is really hurtful to US credibility.

PAUL: The one thing I'm proud of the president for is that he's coming to Congress in a constitutional manner & asking for our authorization. That's what he ran on: his policy was that no president should unilaterally go to war without congressional authority. And I'm proud that he's sticking by it.

Click for Rand Paul on other issues. Source: Meet the Press 2013 interviews: 2016 presidential hopefuls

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Feb 21, 2008)
I have the experience to be commander in chief

Q: Are you suggesting that Obama doesn�t have the experience to be commander in chief?

A: For more than 15 years, I�ve been honored to represent our country in more than 80 countries to negotiate on matters such as opening borders for refugees during the war in Kosovo, to stand up for women�s rights as human rights around the world. I�ve served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and worked as one of the leaders in the Congress on behalf of Homeland Security in the challenges we face.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues. Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin

Mike Bloomberg on Refugee Crisis: (Corporations Aug 27, 2001)
Built up a $1.3B company from scratch over 20 years

It had been 20 years since we started the company--refugees from Wall Street motivated by an idea that we could build something new that just might make a difference in the world of money and investing. We were too young and too insignificant for anyone to warn us then that we were crazy to think we could create a company that could challenge the giants of financial media. So we didn't hesitate. Within a year, we had our 1st customer and 5 years later, our 1st overseas office. By 1989, our annual sales were approaching $100 million and there were now more than 400 of us selling a machine that had a small, growing following.

We added magazines, radio, and television--all tethered to the 24-hour machine--that made us unique as a multimedia company catering to the people with the most at stake. We were never satisfied and that drove us to work harder and build more. By May 1997 we were able to install our 75,000th Bloomberg computer terminal, bringing our annual sales to $1.3 billion.

Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues. Source: Bloomberg by Bloomberg, by Mike Bloomberg, p. v

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Apr 16, 1999)
Use neutral mediators; be flexible on post-war force

We need to involve the Russians, and other neutral countries, like Sweden and Ukraine. And we must actively consult with countries in the region, including Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Should Milosevic balk at such overtures, we could still apply military pressure from the air. Once a settlement is reached, an international force may be necessary to assist the return of refugees and reconstruction. We should be more flexible about the makeup of this force than we have been in the past. Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: NY Times, Op Ed by Kasich, April 16, 1999, on 2000 election

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Apr 16, 1999)
Goals should be: help refugees & regional development

Those who have called for ground troops have not specified the goal. Is it to take Kosovo, fortify it & occupy it for years against the Serbian threat? Is �victory� at all costs worth a bitterly hostile Russia? No one can help but be moved by the plight of the Kosovo refugees. The US has an obligation to get Milosevic to withdraw his forces from Kosovo. Just as surely, we need to help Albania and Macedonia economically. But military escalation is not the best way to achieve those goals. Click for John Kasich on other issues. Source: NY Times, Op Ed by Kasich, April 16, 1999, on 2000 election

Additional quotations related to Refugee Crisis issues can be found under Foreign Policy. Click here for definitions & background information on Foreign Policy.
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Topics in the News: Refugee Crisis

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Oct 31, 2021) Climate change not tomorrow's problem; it's today's problem

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 3, 2021) Refugee cap up from 15,000 to 62,500, but promised 125,000

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2021) Promised 125,000 refugees; but accepted fewer than Trump

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Feb 4, 2021) Reverse ban on transgender individuals serving in military

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021) Restore refugee admissions program: 125,000 people this year

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021) Revoke Trump's ban on refugees seeking asylum

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021) Opposes Vatican view of multicultural global resettlement

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021) Both Church and world in process of global resettlement

Alejandro Mayorkas on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jan 10, 2021) Views himself as a proud member of the Jewish community

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Jul 12, 2020) Supports a Palestinian right of return, and a single state

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 12, 2020) All seeking asylum should be given permanent resident status

Stacey Abrams on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 9, 2020) States' refugee resettlement refusal is emulated globally

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values May 1, 2020) Blessing to be born here; this is the best country on Earth

Deval Patrick on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 6, 2020) Allowed MA to shelter Central American refugee children

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Sep 4, 2019) Grant refuge to those severely impacted by climate change

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 31, 2019) I'm proud to be first governor to accept Syrian refugees

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Jul 30, 2019) We don't just tolerate our differences, we embrace them

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 30, 2019) Xenophobia demonizes immigrants; refugees aren't criminals

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 16, 2019) Support economic development to stem tide of refugees

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 9, 2019) 2017: denounced Trump's refuges policy as "Muslim ban"

John Delaney on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 7, 2019) Treat those who cross our borders with measure of dignity

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 6, 2019) Expand involvement of the Office of Refugee Resettlement

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jul 4, 2019) Father immigrated as Palestinian refugee

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019) Keep asylum laws; let refugees apply from home countries

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019) No to "open borders"; increase number of refugees admitted

Vladimir Putin on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 27, 2019) Praised Trump for stopping migrants and drugs from Mexico

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Jun 26, 2019) No war with Iran: it would escalate region-wide

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 23, 2019) Close asylum loopholes: 90% don't show up in court

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 14, 2019) Treat asylum seekers with respect; repair home countries

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 22, 2019) Met with Syrian president; for "extreme vetting" of Syrians

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2019) Reverse Muslim ban; Marshall Plan for Central America

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 21, 2019) Intervene in refugees' home countries; reform asylum process

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 14, 2019) Against Muslim ban; not afraid of diversity

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 11, 2019) 21st century Marshall Plan for Central and Latin America

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 9, 2019) Refugees can't come in; sorry, we're full

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 1, 2019) Help refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 1, 2019) Stop refugee issue by dealing with what's driving them here

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 14, 2019) Due process & right to counsel, for asylum seekers

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Mar 1, 2019) Welcome Syrian refugees

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 16, 2019) Refugee policy is an embarrassment

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2019) Welcome refugees and immigrants, instead of a border wall

Howard Schultz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 18, 2019) Hire 10,000 refugees from Trump's Muslim-ban countries

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 13, 2019) Compassion for refugees, pathway for those here

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 25, 2018) Focus on refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 6, 2018) Allies directly affected should repatriate Syrian refugees

Michael Bennet on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 24, 2018) America is a unique place for refugees to succeed

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 25, 2017) Take better care of refugees driven from their land

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 21, 2017) UN is bureaucratic, but does enormously important work

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Aug 29, 2017) Rising oceans creating world's first "climate refugees"

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 27, 2017) 2015: Favor Christian over Islamic refugees

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 24, 2017) Vocal advocate for the plight of refugees

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 29, 2017) Refugee ban: What we did was take a pause

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 6, 2017) Protect America by banning refugees from terrorist countries

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 12, 2017) Refugee vetting mechanisms we have now are very, very strong

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2017) Travel ban is constitutional & judges shouldn't overturn it

Bill de Blasio on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 29, 2017) Detaining Muslim travelers is simply un-American

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 19, 2016) Vet immigrants; ask Muslim-Americans to help us

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 9, 2016) Should admit carefully vetted war refugees on moral grounds

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 9, 2016) FactCheck: Yes, would increase Syrian refugees by 550%

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 4, 2016) Trump for extreme vetting of immigrants and no Syrians

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016) Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016) Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Sep 21, 2016) Talked about refugees to Grover on "Sesame Street"

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 21, 2016) Temporarily suspend immigration from terrorist havens

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 15, 2016) Bar refugees from terrorist-ridden regions

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Feb 11, 2016) America stands for hope; we should take Syrian refugees

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 11, 2016) Support our NATO allies and take vetted Syrian refugees

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Jan 14, 2016) Americans who join ISIS forfeit their citizenship

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 14, 2016) It's not fear of terrorist refugees; it's reality

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 12, 2016) Don't follow the siren call of anti-immigration anger

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Dec 19, 2015) Keep Syrian refugees; we're a nation of resolve, not of fear

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 15, 2015) To defend against terrorism, we need to defend the border

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Dec 10, 2015) Ice-melt is literally creating climate refugees

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Nov 29, 2015) No-fly zone 1st priority, but ok with more aid for refugees

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 22, 2015) The way to keep us safe is NOT to keep outsiders out

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 22, 2015) Both refugees and visa waivers pose threat

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 22, 2015) Need to keep database of Muslim refugees

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 17, 2015) Pause accepting Syrian refugees to create stringent checks

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 17, 2015) Welcome Syrian refugees and fight any bans

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Oct 31, 2021)
Climate change not tomorrow's problem; it's today's problem

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 3, 2021)
Refugee cap up from 15,000 to 62,500, but promised 125,000

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2021)
Promised 125,000 refugees; but accepted fewer than Trump

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Feb 4, 2021)
Reverse ban on transgender individuals serving in military

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021)
Restore refugee admissions program: 125,000 people this year

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 4, 2021)
Revoke Trump's ban on refugees seeking asylum

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021)
Opposes Vatican view of multicultural global resettlement

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 20, 2021)
Both Church and world in process of global resettlement

Alejandro Mayorkas on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jan 10, 2021)
Views himself as a proud member of the Jewish community

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Jul 12, 2020)
Supports a Palestinian right of return, and a single state

Howie Hawkins on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 12, 2020)
All seeking asylum should be given permanent resident status

Stacey Abrams on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 9, 2020)
States' refugee resettlement refusal is emulated globally

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values May 1, 2020)
Blessing to be born here; this is the best country on Earth

Deval Patrick on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 6, 2020)
Allowed MA to shelter Central American refugee children

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Sep 4, 2019)
Grant refuge to those severely impacted by climate change

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 31, 2019)
I'm proud to be first governor to accept Syrian refugees

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Civil Rights Jul 30, 2019)
We don't just tolerate our differences, we embrace them

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 30, 2019)
Xenophobia demonizes immigrants; refugees aren't criminals

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 16, 2019)
Support economic development to stem tide of refugees

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 9, 2019)
2017: denounced Trump's refuges policy as "Muslim ban"

John Delaney on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 7, 2019)
Treat those who cross our borders with measure of dignity

Joe Sestak on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jul 6, 2019)
Expand involvement of the Office of Refugee Resettlement

Justin Amash on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Jul 4, 2019)
Father immigrated as Palestinian refugee

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019)
Keep asylum laws; let refugees apply from home countries

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 30, 2019)
No to "open borders"; increase number of refugees admitted

Vladimir Putin on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 27, 2019)
Praised Trump for stopping migrants and drugs from Mexico

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Jun 26, 2019)
No war with Iran: it would escalate region-wide

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 23, 2019)
Close asylum loopholes: 90% don't show up in court

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 14, 2019)
Treat asylum seekers with respect; repair home countries

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 22, 2019)
Met with Syrian president; for "extreme vetting" of Syrians

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 22, 2019)
Reverse Muslim ban; Marshall Plan for Central America

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 21, 2019)
Intervene in refugees' home countries; reform asylum process

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 14, 2019)
Against Muslim ban; not afraid of diversity

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 11, 2019)
21st century Marshall Plan for Central and Latin America

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 9, 2019)
Refugees can't come in; sorry, we're full

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Apr 1, 2019)
Help refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

Beto O`Rourke on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Apr 1, 2019)
Stop refugee issue by dealing with what's driving them here

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 14, 2019)
Due process & right to counsel, for asylum seekers

Jay Inslee on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Mar 1, 2019)
Welcome Syrian refugees

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 16, 2019)
Refugee policy is an embarrassment

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2019)
Welcome refugees and immigrants, instead of a border wall

Howard Schultz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 18, 2019)
Hire 10,000 refugees from Trump's Muslim-ban countries

Julian Castro on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 13, 2019)
Compassion for refugees, pathway for those here

Joe Biden on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 25, 2018)
Focus on refugee asylum seekers at home in Northern Triangle

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jun 6, 2018)
Allies directly affected should repatriate Syrian refugees

Michael Bennet on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 24, 2018)
America is a unique place for refugees to succeed

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 25, 2017)
Take better care of refugees driven from their land

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Sep 21, 2017)
UN is bureaucratic, but does enormously important work

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Aug 29, 2017)
Rising oceans creating world's first "climate refugees"

Tulsi Gabbard on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 27, 2017)
2015: Favor Christian over Islamic refugees

Pope Francis on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 24, 2017)
Vocal advocate for the plight of refugees

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 29, 2017)
Refugee ban: What we did was take a pause

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 6, 2017)
Protect America by banning refugees from terrorist countries

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 12, 2017)
Refugee vetting mechanisms we have now are very, very strong

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Feb 5, 2017)
Travel ban is constitutional & judges shouldn't overturn it

Bill de Blasio on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 29, 2017)
Detaining Muslim travelers is simply un-American

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 19, 2016)
Vet immigrants; ask Muslim-Americans to help us

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 9, 2016)
Should admit carefully vetted war refugees on moral grounds

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Oct 9, 2016)
FactCheck: Yes, would increase Syrian refugees by 550%

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Oct 4, 2016)
Trump for extreme vetting of immigrants and no Syrians

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016)
Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Oct 4, 2016)
Bar Syrian refugees so ISIS cannot infiltrate America

Antony Blinken on Refugee Crisis: (Principles & Values Sep 21, 2016)
Talked about refugees to Grover on "Sesame Street"

Mike Pence on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration May 21, 2016)
Temporarily suspend immigration from terrorist havens

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Mar 15, 2016)
Bar refugees from terrorist-ridden regions

Bernie Sanders on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Feb 11, 2016)
America stands for hope; we should take Syrian refugees

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Feb 11, 2016)
Support our NATO allies and take vetted Syrian refugees

Ted Cruz on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Jan 14, 2016)
Americans who join ISIS forfeit their citizenship

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 14, 2016)
It's not fear of terrorist refugees; it's reality

Nikki Haley on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Jan 12, 2016)
Don't follow the siren call of anti-immigration anger

Hillary Clinton on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Dec 19, 2015)
Keep Syrian refugees; we're a nation of resolve, not of fear

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Dec 15, 2015)
To defend against terrorism, we need to defend the border

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Energy & Oil Dec 10, 2015)
Ice-melt is literally creating climate refugees

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (War & Peace Nov 29, 2015)
No-fly zone 1st priority, but ok with more aid for refugees

Kamala Harris on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 22, 2015)
The way to keep us safe is NOT to keep outsiders out

Rand Paul on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 22, 2015)
Both refugees and visa waivers pose threat

Donald Trump on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 22, 2015)
Need to keep database of Muslim refugees

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Foreign Policy Nov 17, 2015)
Pause accepting Syrian refugees to create stringent checks

Cory Booker on Refugee Crisis: (Immigration Nov 17, 2015)
Welcome Syrian refugees and fight any bans

John Kasich on Refugee Crisis: (Homeland Security Nov 16, 2015)
No more Syrian refugees in Ohio or anywhere in USA