Last month, on World Refugee Day, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA), Senator Dick Durbin (IL), Representative Greg Casar (TX) and Representative Debbie Dingell (MI) led almost 70 Democratic members of Congress on a bicameral letter calling on the Biden administration to grant refugee status to Palestinians fleeing Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza.
“We urge you to consider opening pathways to Palestinian refugees, particularly those with family members in the United States, to seek relief in the United States,” reads the letter. “Historically, the U.S. has resettled very few Palestinian refugees, including only 56 refugees, or 0.09 percent of the total number of resettled refugees, in fiscal year 2023 and only 16 so far in fiscal year 2024. Given the dire conditions currently on the ground in Gaza, it is time for this to change.” ….more
