Thread by @jackmjenkins

1. So @emmillerwrites and I published this on Mon, but it’s an important story that deserves a full thread treatment.

It’s about how the Trump admin is dismantling a decades-old, largely faith-based system for resettling refugees, and the people it hurts. religionnews.com/2019/02/04/two…

2. This is technically our second treatment of this topic, building off our first article from last year — both of which were timed around anniversaries of the travel ban, which was ALSO designed to halt the entry of ALL refugees into the country. religionnews.com/2018/02/16/fai…

3. But folks forget that in addition to the initial ban (which went through legal challenges), the Trump admin has DRASTICALLY reduced the number of refugees allowed in the U.S. — twice.

Refugee CAPS by fiscal year:

2017: 50K (lowered from Obama’s *110K*)
2018: 45K
2019: 30K

4. And those are just CAPS — not the number of refugees actually resettled.

Of that 45,000 for 2018, only 22,491 refugees were actually resettled.

We asked the State Department if they expected to resettle the full 30,000 this coming year, and they told us this.

5. So here’s a weird thing people also forget/don’t know: there are 9 groups/agencies that have partnered w/the federal government FOR YEARS to resettle refugees.

SIX are faith based — Church World Service, Catholic, Jewish, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and, yes, evangelical.

6. This means that once the govt decides to resettle a refugee, they’re the ones they help get them an apartment (and pay for it), help them get a job, help them take language classes, etc.

Many refugees often end up working AT these agencies as case workers to help others.

7. But guess what?

The intense refugee reduction means that the govt is recommending these faith-based agencies close many of these programs, which means layoffs, when means some refugees lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, all of this can prove harrowing for the refugees THEMSELVES.

8. (Side note: As one agency head told me, it’s not really a “recommendation” when the govt, who holds the money in these arrangements, “recommends” something)

9. You have to understand, getting refugee status takes *TIME.*

These folks are already INTENSELY vetted, and when they get here they need assistance to get things sorted.

Now some offices can’t help them, because they’re being closed.

10. Meanwhile, not only has anti-refugee rhetoric been a problem, some folks — conservatives! — have challenged whether faith-based refugee programs should exist.

e.g., Tucker Carlson, who debated the head of HIAS (Jewish refugee org) on his show. religionnews.com/2018/10/29/pit…

11. But the vilification of these refugee agencies gets darker.

For example: remember when that shooter killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue last year? Remember how president Trump invited one of the survivors of the tragedy to this year’s #SOTU?

So, about that…

12. The alleged shooter didn’t just have anger toward Jews; he also reportedly posted regular diatribes against refugee groups, and HIAS in particular.

This was the last thing the alleged shooter posted before the killing spree (Note: the synagogue vocally supported HIAS).

13. And there’s ANOTHER odd thing happening.

Early reports were that the original travel ban would prioritize religious minority refugees — particularly persecuted Christians. Trump straight-up told @DavidBrodyCBN that he’d make them a “priority.” bbc.com/news/av/world-…

14. Well, we asked the refugee resettlement groups if the number of persecuted Christian refugees was increasing under Trump.

Then we asked the State Department.

These were the answers they gave us.

15. Now one might expect there would be a wave of outrage among conservative Christians over this, especially since the Trump admin claims to prioritize persecuted Christians (and because of, you know, what he said).

But that widespread outrage just isn’t there, period.

16. You just…don’t see the major conservative Christian leaders who trumpet other causes regularly challenging the president on this issue, despite it being arguably a broken promise by Trump.

Just ask @MatthewSoerens, who works for the evangelical refugee resettlement group.

17. And, again, this doesn’t just hurt the resettlement groups.

It also the refugees they care for.

It’s absolutely heartbreaking stuff.

18. Anyway, I know there’s a LOT going on, but I’d really recommend you take some time to read this story (and related stories) from @emmillerwrites and me.

There’s a lot to learn here: religionnews.com/2019/02/04/two…