NEW YORK (Press Release) – American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is grateful for the many expressions of support offered by the Trump administration in response to the recent antisemitic terror attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. Officials across the administration have rallied behind the American Jewish community, taking swift action to hold perpetrators accountable and making clear that antisemitic hate crimes will not be tolerated.
While we are deeply distressed by the rise in violent antisemitic attacks in the United States, and while we appreciate that the administration is trying to mobilize as many levers as it can to counter it, we are concerned that the broad Proclamation issued June 4 seeks to address this alarming issue in a way that lacks a clear connection to the underlying problem and will have an adverse impact on other longstanding immigration and refugee policies.
We fully agree with the administration that entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted and those who overstay visas can pose national security threats. Being able to enter and stay in the United States is a privilege, and thorough protocols to ensure entry of foreign nationals to the U.S. in a way that protects national security are vital. To that end, the State Department must be properly funded and staffed to ensure consular officials can appropriately vet visa applicants.
However, we are concerned that Wednesday’s Proclamation – imposing a full travel ban on 12 countries and sharp restrictions on seven others – will prevent those in need of real refuge from entering the U.S. in line with the longstanding American tradition of welcoming those forced to leave their countries to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
Executive Order 14163, issued in January, suspended the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP), leaving many already vetted and cleared applicants for asylum with little hope. AJC reiterates our call for the reinstatement of USRAP and reaffirms our longstanding position that the refugee admissions cap should be no lower than 75,000. Further, the status of individuals in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Afghanistan and Venezuela (both countries named in the Proclamation) is already fraught because of the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to terminate TPS for those countries.
Throughout AJC’s nearly 120-year history, we have supported fair and just immigration policies for people of all races, religions, and national origins, and advocated for an inclusive America that provides safe haven for those fleeing persecution and seeking to contribute to the United States. It remains our strong belief that it is possible to allow for just immigration and refugee policies while upholding the national security of the United States.
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Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee