On the anniversary of the 1980 Refugee Act, the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign decries attacks on immigrant and refugee communities across the country, and urges our leaders to restore access to the life-saving protections enshrined in law 45 years ago.
On March 17, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the 1980 Refugee Act into law with unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate, establishing a framework to ensure access to protection for refugees seeking safety. The bill aligned U.S. law with our international treaty obligations, codifying the right to seek asylum and prohibiting the return of refugees to countries where they face persecution or torture. The passage of the Refugee Act affirmed the values of compassion and fairness to which we aspire, saying clearly that no matter where you are from, or how you come to the United States, people seeking safety have the right to request protection.
Forty-five years later, the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign is outraged to see this legacy imperiled as the current administration acts with cruelty rather than compassion, shutting down asylum at the border, suspending refugee resettlement, and eliminating pathways to safety. The administration has also disappeared people who sought safety at the border, unlawfully transporting them to third countries, and detaining them without access to phones or legal counsel. On Saturday, March 15, the Trump administration unlawfully invoked an 18th-century wartime act to deport people seeking safety, returning them to danger, without a court hearing or asylum interview – a violation of due process.
Immigrant communities across the country have faced relentless attacks since January 20, as the Trump administration ramps up its mass deportation and detention campaign. Families are being separated. Violent ICE raids are inflicting terror and trauma on communities. Immigration prisons for children and parents are reopening. Last week in Washington D.C., ICE arrested and detained a Venezuelan couple with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and a pending asylum claim and separated them from their children. The same week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained and deported a family with five U.S. citizen children, intercepting them en route to an emergency check-up for their 10-year-old daughter, a brain cancer patient receiving treatment from specialist doctors in Texas.
The administration and its allies are also weaponizing the immigration system and pursuing retaliation against those who express dissent and extend compassion to newcomers. Those speaking out for immigrant and human rights, no matter their immigration status, face increasing threats. Last week Mahmoud Khalil, a university student and permanent resident advocating for Palestinian rights, was arrested and detained by ICE in a facility in Louisiana, thousands of miles from his U.S. citizen wife, who is eight months pregnant with their child.
These attacks on people seeking asylum and on immigrant communities are an attack on our collective freedom and safety. The #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign knows that there is a better way forward. For the past 45 years, we have seen the many ways in which communities across the country have exemplified the values at the heart of the 1980 Refugee Act – values of compassion, solidarity, and welcome. Immigrants – our neighbors, loved ones, and cherished community members – have immeasurably enriched our communities and our country. We stand firmly with them, and reject any attempt to attack our communities.
Forty-five years after the passing of the Refugee Act, we call on our elected leaders to reject the Trump administration’s cruel agenda, and to take meaningful, immediate action to keep our communities and families safe, together, and free.
“Forty-five years ago, the bipartisan Refugee Act established a statutory framework to ensure that U.S. law aligned with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and Protocol,” said Kate Jastram, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS). “In the decades since, the U.S. asylum and refugee resettlement programs have extended a crucial lifeline to people fleeing persecution, keeping them safe and enriching our communities. Now these programs are under attack, with the administration closing off all paths to protection and threatening to punish communities that welcome refugees. At this critical moment, we implore leaders on both sides of the aisle to resist these cruel attacks, stand up for refugees and welcoming communities, and defend the United States’ legacy as a global leader in humanitarian protection.”
“We reject the Trump administration’s barrage of attacks on the right to seek safety. People seeking safety have a right to seek asylum, and they must never be punished for how they arrive to this country in search of safety. Our laws, including the 1980 Refugee Act, protect people from return to political, religious, and other persecution. Despite the Trump administration’s unlawful attempts to dismantle these protections, we continue to stand firm in our conviction and commitment to people seeking refuge and protection,” said Robyn Barnard, Senior Director, Refugee Advocacy at Human Rights First.
“For decades, the refugee resettlement program established by the 1980 Refugee Act has been a bipartisan lifeline to refugees fleeing war and persecution around the world,” said Melissa Keaney, Senior Supervising Attorney, Litigation, at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). “The Trump administration’s attacks on refugees and the will of Congress are cruel and illegal, and IRAP and our clients are proud to lead the legal fight to stop them and restore the United States’ commitment to welcoming refugees.”
“On the 45th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980, we must confront a stark reality: our legacy of welcome is under threat. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is suspended, and vital resettlement funds are being cut, leaving refugees abroad at risk and newly arrived families struggling. Families and individuals are also being denied their legal and human right to seek asylum,” said Kristyn Peck, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. “This isn’t just a policy shift— it’s a departure from the fundamental American values of offering hope and refuge to those seeking safety, values leaders across both parties have upheld for decades.”
“The Refugee Act of 1980, which passed unanimously in the Senate and overwhelmingly in the House, created the modern refugee resettlement system and the framework for the U.S. asylum system, said Yael Schacher, Director for the Americas in Europe at Refugees International. “It committed the U.S. to providing support to resettled refugees and to never returning asylum seekers to persecution. The Trump administration’s ban and defunding of resettlement and expulsion of asylum seekers are violations of the Refugee Act and are policies that Refugees International surveys confirm that most Americans oppose. Refugees International is committed to advocating for policies in line with U.S. law and values, policies that have for 45 years provided refuge to people seeking safety and benefited the country so much.”
“The 1980 Refugee Act and the refugee resettlement program has been a bipartisan lifeline for people seeking safety for 45 years,” said Kate Brick, Executive Director of the Refugee Advocacy Lab. “Communities across the country are proud to welcome their new neighbors, and time and time again, these communities have prospered as a result of the economic, social and cultural enrichment refugees and other newcomers bring. While the Trump administration is actively working to dismantle our legacy of welcoming people seeking safety, the Lab stands firm in our commitment to ensure local partners and champions have the support and tools they need to fight for the country we want to continue to be.”
“Forty-five years after the 1980 Refugee Act was signed with bi-partisan support by Jimmy Carter, we are witnessing a complete abandonment of its values,” said Lindsay Toczylowski, President and CEO of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). “The Refugee Act’s promise of welcome for asylum seekers and refugees is under attack by the current administration. The Trump administration’s assault on American humanitarian ideals and their unlawful efforts to dismantle protections for people seeking safety are threatening our democracy. We refuse to stand by as decades of due process and dignity are stripped away each day. We urge our elected officials to stand up for refugee rights and for their constituents to hold them accountable. We will continue to stand by asylum seekers and advocate for their right to safety on the ground and in the courts.”
“The Refugee Act of 1980 turns 45 years old today. Over the years, this day has been a celebration of our nation’s spirit of welcome and of the bipartisan legislation that enshrines our modern refugee and asylum systems. Yet this year we do not celebrate, this year we mobilize,” said Danilo Zak, Directory of Policy at Church World Service. “President Trump’s halting of the refugee resettlement program has left families separated, the displaced in danger, and has shaken the very foundations of our country’s reputation as a leader on the global stage. Today we stand for all those who have been welcomed by American communities, those left stranded by today’s cruel and inhumane policies, and for a future where our nation once again leads with compassion and justice.”
“The Refugee Act of 1980 established a legacy of welcome that embodies the core American values of freedom, safety, and dignity. It is a promise to those fleeing violence and persecution that they can find refuge here and rebuild their lives in safety. As an organization built and led by forcibly displaced people, Refugee Congress knows firsthand the life-changing impact of this important piece of legislation. Yet the Trump administration continues to move us in the opposite direction,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director at Refugee Congress. “The executive orders and harmful policies not only undermine our legacy, but also endanger the lives of the very people we promised to protect. Americans value compassion and support welcoming refugees — our communities are stronger when we defend those seeking safety and refuge. It’s time for our elected leaders to put a stop to the politicization of people’s lives and to instead uphold our nation’s historic leadership and promises to protect the safety and dignity of our most vulnerable neighbors.”
“Today should be a day to celebrate the Refugee Act of 1980 and its 45-year legacy,” said Azadeh Erfani, Policy Director at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). “Instead, people seeking refuge are facing unprecedented attacks from the executive branch and Congress. The Trump administration has unlawfully barred entry to people seeking refuge at the border, including children, while discontinuing refugee resettlement services. Most recently, the Trump administration has used a wartime authority to disappear asylum seekers and deprive them of any semblance of due process or access to protection. Rather than rein in these violations of our domestic and international legal obligations, Congress is issuing blank checks to fund the administration’s unlawful enforcement actions. NIJC calls on Congress to strengthen the United States’ commitment to protect those fleeing persecution.”
“For 45 years, the Refugee Act of 1980 has been a promise—one that says the U.S. stands for safety, dignity, and protection for those forced to flee. Today, that promise is under attack,” said Fatima Saidi, National Director of the We Are All America coalition. “The Trump administration’s executive orders are a direct assault on the very foundation of refugee resettlement, and we are fighting tooth and nail to defend it. Refugees are not a threat. They are our neighbors, our leaders, and the backbone of thriving communities. We refuse to let fear and xenophobia dismantle decades of progress. Our commitment to welcoming and protecting those in need is not just policy, it is a moral imperative.”
“The U.S. has been a country of protection for people seeking safety for 45 years. The current administration will not destroy the humanitarian spirit behind the 1980 Refugee Act and the intense work of civil society organizations to implement it with its community partners. This is a challenging moment where the U.S., rather than opening its arms to those seeking protection, sent over the weekend over 250 nationals and foreigners to El Salvador to be imprisoned. Alianza Americas calls on all Americans to raise their voices for refugees and with refugees,” stated Helena Olea, Deputy Director of Alianza Americas.