The State Department today said that the Trump administration may not recognize refugee resettlement agencies as having “bona fide relationship” for purposes of its refugee ban implementation. The decision by the administration means tens of thousands of refugees from countries all over the world who were in the process of being resettled in the United States may not be able to come this fiscal year. Amnesty International USA’s senior director of campaigns Naureen Shah issued the following statement:
“This policy is effectively a ban on many refugees and will have devastating effects for people in the process of being resettled. It will jeopardize the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people including people and families fleeing war, violence and torture.
“Refugees are not a threat. They’re fleeing horrific violence, trying to rebuild their lives. They want the same safety and opportunities that any of us would want if we were in their shoes. They should not be disingenuously scapegoated under the guise of national security.
“It is also unconscionable and hypocritical for President Trump to double down on banning refugees while his administration threatens President Assad over chemical attacks. Clearly, in the administration’s view of Syria, the man responsible for war crimes is a completely separate issue from the people he’s inflicting them upon.”