Faith leaders weigh in as Trump puts pause on refugee resettlement

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

57% : The executive order says that the Secretary of Homeland Security will send a report to the president "within 90 days" determining whether allowing refugees "would be in the interest of the U.S.," and will continue to do so on 90-day cycles until Trump determines to restart admissions.
55% : Even after Trump decides to begin readmitting refugees, it could take some time for the complex network of government agencies and nonprofits that works to resettle them to catch up to speed.
55% : "You can't take the current workforce of ICE, which is as big as it's ever been, and then say, 'I want you to deport four times the number of people you did (last year),'" Kuck said.
54% : But shutting down refugee resettlement, Salguero said, does little to strengthen national security.
54% : "Eight in 10 white evangelical Christians supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
52% : "In some ways, refugee resettlement is a switch you can turn off very easily," Soerens said.
50% : "On mass deportations, Trump is ordering the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a workload much larger than its capacity.
50% : The memo explained that CBP and ICE officers would be empowered to "catch criminal aliens" in those locations.
49% : Pausing refugee admissions effectively closes the door to thousands of Christians who could otherwise find respite in the U.S.The decision to shut off refugee admittances could also have economic effects.
47% : "They're immediately able to connect to a career and to fill a key opening that American businesses are desperate for, as we have such a tight labor market right now."Over the 15 years between 2005 and 2019, refugees contributed an estimated $581 billion to state and federal governments in taxes, according to a HUD report published last year.
46% : Trump's decision to stop refugee resettlement seems to contradict his campaign promise to protect Christians.
38% : Instead, it shuts the door on "people who are fleeing religious political persecution and seeking religious freedom.
37% : Trump had long promised to set the cap at zero, so his executive action Monday came as no surprise.
31% : "On Monday, Trump signed eight immigration-related executive orders:Charles Kuck, the former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, noted that some of Trump's directives will likely never come to fruition.
19% : Trump's executive order already sparked a lawsuit, and it would be difficult for Trump to prevail in court, Kuck predicted.

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