Thank you for considering signing on to this letter from state and locally elected officials in support of refugees.There has never been a more urgent time for states and communities across the country to demonstrate their support for refugees and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Please add your full name and official title to this form if you are an elected member of your state or community and would like to be listed as supporting this letter to the President expressing support for refugees and refugee resettlement agencies in your state and community, and asking the President to set the Fiscal Year 2019 Presidential Determination for at least 75,000 refugees. This decision will be made by the President in September, so this is the ideal time to make your voice, and the voices of your constituents, heard!

The letter text is below. Please also reach out to Elizabeth Foydel at policy@refugeerights.org with any questions. The final letter with the list of all signatories will be finalized at the end of business on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, and published and sent the week of August 6, 2018.

All signatories will be provided the final PDF of the letter, along with a short tool-kit on how to amplify your support of refugees, including sample tweets and press release language.

------------ TEXT OF LETTER ------------

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As elected officials, we write today to express our strong support for resettling refugees in our states and communities, and urge you to resettle at least 75,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2019. We hope that you will take into consideration the voices of state and local communities as we join together in support of this life-saving program and express their desire to help protect refugees in need.

Every day, 44,000 people are displaced from their homes because of violence, persecution, or war. The United Nations Refugee Agency reports that over 68.5 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, 25.4 million of whom are registered as refugees. More than half of those registered are children. Despite this ongoing crisis, last year the United States set its lowest ever resettlement goal of 45,000 refugees, and to date, has only resettled 16,230 refugees this fiscal year. This is one of the lowest numbers of refugees the U.S. has resettled in the history of the program, at the time of the greatest need. We can do so much more.

The United States of America is a nation founded and built by immigrants and refugees. It is that history that makes our collective states and communities strong; it is our deep respect for hard work, our shared commitment to the country we call home, and our belief that America is a beacon of hope, that unites us.

We have heard our constituents express their support for resettling refugees in our communities. Like us, they know that refugees are not people to be feared – they are simply men, women, and children who were forced to flee in order to save their lives.

Refugees bring immense value to our communities. Refugees have reinvigorated our economies, brought innovation to our towns, and made our communities stronger through their contributions to our public life and cultural institutions. They are students, business owners, dedicated employees, customers, elected officials, and community leaders.

The significant decline in refugee arrivals this year has had a negative impact on communities, especially on employers, that have traditionally welcomed refugees. Many key U.S. industries - including manufacturing, lumber, hospitality, and food production - have become increasingly reliant on refugee workers to fill in gaps left by labor shortages. Refugees, and their descendants, bring so much to our communities. We are better and stronger because of them. We encourage you to visit our communities and hear directly from our constituents, including refugees themselves, about what this life-saving program has brought to our country.

It is our deep respect for hard work, our shared commitment to the country we call home, and our belief that America is a beacon of hope, that unites us. We thank you for listening to the voices of communities across the country, and hope that you will take into account our strong desire to welcome refugees as you make your determination on the number of refugees our country will help in the coming year.

Sincerely,