(Washington, D.C., 3/21/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined 36 other national and state Turkish American, Syrian American, immigration rights, and American Muslim and Christian organizations in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State, urging those two federal agencies to work together to expedite the review of family-based petitions and immigrant visa applications for immediate and close relatives impacted by the recent earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
READ THE LETTER: CLICK HERE
The earthquake and aftershocks that struck both countries last month have caused massive destruction, killing over 50,000 people, and has left millions of people homeless or without adequate shelter, including those who were already in the process of immigrating to the United States. Many of the surviving relatives being petitioned for are now homeless and in desperate need of assistance. They have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and many have lost loved ones. In this dire situation, the United States has a moral obligation to assist those who have been impacted by this disaster.
While DHS has announced that it will expedite some immigration background checks on a case-by-case basis the letter requests that the U.S. government prioritize these Turkish and Syrian family immigration visa applications and family-based petitions, reviewing them as quickly as possible.
Last week, Canadian government announced it will be processing “temporary and permanent residence applications from people affected by the devastating earthquakes on a priority basis, including applications for refugee resettlement” and “taking steps to make it easier for Turkish and Syrian nationals already in Canada to extend their stay.”
Additionally, groups are urging the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to acknowledge refugees in Turkey as one of their priorities because they are a group of people with special humanitarian concerns. The letter requests USRAP to establish a process to receive refugee referrals from Turkey and send resources and staff to Türkiye to expedite the interviewing and processing of these refugees.
While the process of reviewing immigration applications and petitions can be lengthy and complicated, CAIR and other letter signatories believe that in this unique situation, it is important for the U.S. government to act quickly to provide relief to those who have been impacted by this devastating earthquake. That includes expediting immigration applications.
DHS and the State Department have the authority to expedite cases on humanitarian grounds, and the letter urges them to exercise that authority in this situation.
Below is a list of the letter’s signatories:
ACCESS of WNY
American Coalition for Syria (ACS)
American Muslims for Palestine
Bridges Faith Initiative
Church World Service
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center
Emgage
ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA CSJ)
Islamic Center of Morris County, North Carolina
Islamic Shura Council of Southern California
Islamophobia Studies Center
Jetpac Resource Center
LUCHA
Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York
Mayor, Borough of Prospect Park, New Jersey
MPower Change
Muslim Advocates
Muslim American Society
Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego
Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Council of Churches
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Northern California Islamic Council
Pax Christi USA
Sojourners
South Dakota Voices for Peace
The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed)
The People
Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC)
Unitarian Universalist Refugee & Immigrant Services & Education
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries
US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]