Today, March 17th, marks the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Refugee Act of 1980. This landmark legislation received strong bipartisan support from Congress. The act provides a standardized framework for welcoming refugees and asylees and helping them integrate and succeed in their new communities.

Welcoming refugees is not only the right thing to do to honor human dignity, but it’s the smart thing to do - strengthening our communities and workforces and building trust and security around the world. We honor and celebrate Idahoans who have experienced displacement and are now a vital part of the fabric of our community.  

Today the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains on pause due to an executive order, impacting people who have waited years to resettle and prolonging family separations in Idaho. We stand together in sharing our support for the refugee program, a part of our immigration system that has worked well for the past 45 years through public-private partnership.

In Idaho we’re grateful to be part of this legacy alongside you and many other community members, resettlement partners, businesses, and faith groups.

We echo what President Jimmy Carter, who signed the Refugee Act, said four years ago, “On this 41st anniversary of the Refugee Act, we as Americans can reflect on our decision as a nation to welcome the stranger and renew our commitment to remaining a beacon of hope for freedom-loving people everywhere.”
 
Resources for Supporting Resettlement

Neighbors United: What You Can Do

• Civic Engagement - How to share your support for resettlement with your representatives
• Care for Our Neighbors - How to support local resettlement organizations and new arrivals whose resources have been disrupted
• Public Awareness - How to use your voice to lift others up
  
  

Idaho Community Resource Guide - Includes resources in areas of immigration, employment, language learning, housing, and more

Idahoans from refugee backgrounds and community supporters came together at the State Capitol on Feb. 24 to show appreciation for Idaho’s 50-year history of welcoming refugees.
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Chefs originally from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Kenya provided favorite foods from their home countries to lawmakers and other guests at the lunch. Caterers included Chubangu Mnongerwa, owner of Amina’s African Sambusas; husband and wife Oleksii and Liudmyla Dmytriienko from Ukraine; and Wahid Amani, an army veteran from Afghanistan.

The annual Idaho Appreciation Lunch: From Refugees to Lawmakers was hosted by the Idaho Office for Refugees and Idaho Dairymen’s Association and endorsed by over 200 organizations and businesses from across the state.