It’s time for Louisiana to show its support for refugees

There has never been a more urgent time for Americans to show our support for refugees. In the last year, Americans across the country have welcomed people seeking safety. They include Afghans and Ukrainians fleeing danger, persecution, and war. But the world’s refugee crisis is a lot bigger than Afghanistan and Ukraine. More than 100 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. It’s a new and unfortunate record. They come from Congo, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela, and elsewhere. The United Nations says two 2 million people need urgent resettlement.

Our elected officials in Louisiana have a valuable opportunity to influence federal policy for the better. They can sign on to a new letter from political leaders across the country urging President Biden to reinvigorate the nonpartisan U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in the next fiscal year. It’s helped refugees come to America since 1980. In 2021, the United States resettled 11,411 refugees, the lowest in any year on record. The Biden administration set a laudable goal of resettling 125,000 people in the fiscal year 2022. But we’re on pace to resettle only a fraction of that number under the program—fewer than 25,000.

Why should our elected officials in Louisiana show their support?

I first came to Louisiana from Sierra Leone, fleeing the brutal civil war there. I got a warm welcome here and am impressed by how Louisiana embraces immigrants. I now proudly call Baton Rouge my home and am an ardent fan of the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers. American football is my newfound sport.

Louisiana’s refugees and other new Americans like me have not only found safety and new opportunities in this great state. We give back. We contribute more than a billion dollars in taxes and more into the state and federal coffers each year. We boost the state’s economy annually with more than $3.5 billion in consumer spending. Immigrant and refugee business owners are more than 10 percent of Louisiana’s self-employed people. We work in construction, agriculture, healthcare, the food industry, and other services—keeping the state running and our neighbors fed and healthy. During the 2016 flooding and recent hurricanes, we were at the forefront of rebuilding our state-damaged homes and providing food and other essential supplies to families impacted by natural disasters. We contribute hundreds of millions of dollars a year in business revenue.

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon West Broome has spoken up in support of refugees. She points out that there are no exceptions to the Bible’s rule to love thy neighbor. And she has said we should be promoting compassion, generosity, and unity. She has said that immigrants and refugees are part of the fabric of the Baton Rouge community. Congressman Troy Carter has also been a friend to new Americans. For example, he recently co-sponsored legislation condemning the mistreatment of Haitians. In 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Louisiana would welcome refugees. It was a positive stand.

Refugees throughout the country are vital to the American social, cultural, and economic fabric. Just like in our home state, they invigorate our economies and bring innovation. They make our communities stronger through their contributions to our public life. I want our elected officials to express support to the President. Recently, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken mentioned the administration’s commitment to expand and rebuild refugee resettlement. But we want him to meet his commitment to resettle refugees now. It means ensuring he invests in the resettlement program. It means ensuring it can meet emergent humanitarian needs.

Our elected leaders are in a powerful position to influence the President to do the right thing here. I look forward to working with them to sign on to the letter.

– Dauda Sesay
Vice-Chair
Refugee Congress Board of Directors

This article originally published in the July 25, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.