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Pelosi Statement on World Refugee Day

June 20, 2020
Contact: Speaker's Press Office,
202-226-7616
San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement in recognition of United Nations' World Refugee Day:
"On World Refugee Day, we take time to recognize the plight of all those forced from their homes by war, persecution and natural disaster, and recommit ourselves to combatting the evils that have torn their lives apart. This year's UNHCR report shows the heartbreaking reality of the ongoing refugee crisis, with nearly 80 million people, one percent of the global population, forcibly displaced, 40 percent of whom are innocent children.
"Shamefully, despite this growing crisis, the Trump Administration has significantly cut the number of refugees admitted to the United States, abandoning our international obligations and our history as a beacon of hope and opportunity for people around the world. This outrageous policy is made even worse by the Administration's deliberately cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers at our southern border, including its barbaric family separation policy and the denial of basic human rights to vulnerable men, women and children. These disgraceful actions undermine our bedrock values and have no place in our country.
"This year, we mark World Refugee Day as the world faces a global pandemic, threatening the well-being of all our communities, especially refugees who lack access to the resources needed to stay healthy and safe. To honor all those who come to our country to find peace and to seek their American Dream, House Democrats will continue to demand the Senate vote on the House-passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, to protect TPS and DED recipients and provide a pathway to citizenship. We will hold the Administration accountable for its dangerous anti-immigrant, anti-refugee agenda as we work to build a brighter and more prosperous future for all."
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