Bethany Christian Services’ CEO Statement on the Trump Administration Refugee Resettlement Ceiling Decision

Grand Rapids, MI– Bethany Christian Services’ President & CEO, Chris Palusky, today made the following statement after the U.S. Department of State recommended late last night that the U.S. resettle 15,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2021, the lowest in history.

The State Department’s midnight recommendation that the U.S. resettle 15,000 refugees is too little, too late. Refugee resettlement remains on hold until the President consults with Congress and signs the Presidential Determination. Last year, this process wasn’t complete until November, leaving thousands of refugees in precarious situations. We are also disappointed that this recommendation is the lowest in American history, which adds more vulnerability and fear for so many children and families who are fleeing persecution or violence overseas.

With the planned refugee allocations, we urge the Trump administration to prioritize family reunification and resettling the most vulnerable refugees like children who have lost their parents. We pray that the American people and leadership will not turn their backs on displaced people around the world, which is only growing in number. We have the ability to reunify families, protect people from persecution, and alleviate suffering for so many lives.

Bethany Christian Services has long advocated for a refugee ceiling of at least 95,000, arguing that the infrastructure is available to serve more refugees as well as the moral implications of caring for vulnerable populations. This week, Bethany released a report on the global refugee crisis, demonstrating the far-reaching effects of the pandemic on the global refugee population. Palusky participated in a National Immigration Forum press call on Tuesday and published an op-ed yesterday urging the American people to “face the moral reality of this global crisis.”

Bethany has multiple global offices assisting refugees in Colombia and Ethiopia. They also work in the U.S., providing resettlement assistance as well as temporary foster care programs for unaccompanied refugee minors.

About Bethany Christian Services Bethany is an international Christian nonprofit changing the world through family. Around 75 years ago, we began our work by serving one child. Today, we partner with churches and communities in more than 30 states and nearly a dozen countries to strengthen and preserve families, support refugees and immigrants fleeing danger, and find safe, loving families for children who need them. Bethany demonstrates the love and compassion of Jesus, impacting hundreds of thousands of lives every year, because we believe everyone deserves to be safe, loved, and connected.