Refugee Congress Congratulates President Biden and Vice President Harris

A Transition Towards Healing and Restoring: Refugee Congress Congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

For Immediate Release: Jan. 20, 2021

WASHINGTON—On Wednesday January 20, 2021, our nation witnessed a peaceful transition of power as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the solemn oath of office. As Refugee Congress celebrates the end of years of unrest and division under the Trump administration, we extend our sincerest congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and look forward to working together to restore our nation’s tradition of welcome to refugees and asylum seekers.

This inauguration was remarkable in several ways. With historic voter turnout, this election was one where Americans across the nation — and especially our new American communities of resettled refugees and asylees — engaged and made their voices heard. We witnessed Kamala Harris make history as the first woman and first person of African American and South Asian descent to ever serve as a Vice President of the United States. This serves as a victory to our nation and the ancestors that fought and forged the way to allow the first Black woman to become our Vice President. As an organization built and led by former refugees, asylum-seekers and other vulnerable migrants, we have overcome barriers in our pursuit for protection, refuge, freedom and justice. We are hopeful to see the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants overcome barriers and reflect some of our own stories. 

In the words of President Biden, “The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer.”

We are encouraged by President Biden’s action on his first day in office to reverse some of the most destructive of the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies. We applaud his fast action to reverse the Muslim ban, revoke an order that had directed aggressive immigration enforcement, revoke the plan to exclude non-citizens from the Census and more actions to make our immigration policies more representative with our values.

Refugee Congress remains hopeful in the plans of President Biden to continue to take action to restore refugee resettlement, protect asylum seekers and move towards inclusive immigration reform for our communities. As we move forward with a new administration, we remain dedicated to our fight for racial and social justice for all Americans. The inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris demonstrates that our nation is ready for an administration where justice, dignity and equity are at its core. We look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration on these critical issues.