| President Joe Biden is hardly the first Oval Office occupant to back down on a campaign promise after winning an election. But this time, evangelicals were not having it.
On April 16, the White House announced that the refugee admission ceiling would remain at 15,000, a devastatingly low number set by the former president. But refugee advocates—many evangelicals among them—remembered with crystal clarity that President Biden had promised to raise the number to 62,500.
In “How Evangelicals Pushed Back on Biden’s Refugee Reversal,” Stefani McDade shares how the leaders of organizations like Bethany Christian Services, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition pushed back on the President’s reversal.
Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, wrote on Facebook that she’d had one of her busiest workdays ever. By the end of it, she said, “the President heard the voice of the people and changed course, stating that he is planning to raise the #refugee ceiling next month. Thanks for raising your voice. Keep it up!”
Speaking truth to power doesn’t always have immediate returns, and this case is no exception. While the President has promised to raise the refugee admissions ceiling, McDade notes that “Biden’s flip-flop on refugees, however discouraging to advocates, did create an opportunity for Christians to speak up for human dignity.”
As we step into the opportunities that remain, may we look to the example of those who spoke up on behalf of refugees this month, drawing confidence and strength from their commitment to the truth, justice, and compassion. |
