JRS/USA Election Statement: We Urge Incoming Administration to Adopt New Approach to Migrant People

With the news that Donald Trump has been elected to a second term as president, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)/USA urges the incoming administration to honor the United States’ historic role as a proud nation of immigrants and echoes the longstanding call by U.S. bishops to reject “the anti-immigrant stance that has become popular in different parts of our country, and the nativism, ethnocentricity, and racism that continue to reassert themselves in our communities.”

The U.S. can and should improve its asylum system, provide lawful pathways for migrants, and work with Congress to develop immigration reforms. We call upon the incoming administration to continue the U.S.’s long global leadership in providing lifesaving humanitarian aid to those in need of assistance around the world.

During the previous Trump administration, policy decisions made it more difficult for forcibly displaced people to seek protection in the U.S. The administration’s policies separated families, set up new hurdles in the asylum process, dramatically reduced the number of refugees the U.S. resettled, introduced a ban on admitting travelers from predominantly Muslim countries, and deprioritized international efforts to address the exploding global refugee population.

During the 2024 campaign, Mr. Trump’s and allies’ rhetoric created danger for asylees and other foreign nationals in the U.S. legally and brought despair to those who have seen the U.S. as a light in the darkness as they struggle to escape violence and persecution.

How we respond to the tens of millions of people forced to flee their homes is a serious moral, legal, diplomatic, and economic question that impacts all of us. As an organization of people expressing our Catholic faith through our work, JRS/USA believes that to welcome, accompany, serve, and advocate for displaced people is an obligation. As Pope Francis has urged, “Let us not forget that having wealth includes responsibility” and “constant vigilance so that the most disadvantaged… may be helped to rise.”

We will continue assisting, listening to, and advocating for people on the move. Join us in making your voice heard on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers