Bill Text: MI HR0009 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to urge the President of the United States to allow an additional 25,000 refugee visas for displaced Iraqis, with preference for placement in Michigan.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-14 - Adopted [HR0009 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2015-HR0009-Enrolled.html
Reps. Kesto, Heise and Howrylak offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 9.
A resolution to urge the President of the United States to allow an additional 25,000 refugee visas for displaced Iraqis, with preference for placement in Michigan.
Whereas, The United States has long been a safe harbor for persecuted foreign nationals. Through the U.S. refugee visa program, individuals and their families who are harassed, oppressed, or have faced harassment or oppression at home because of their race, religion, nationality, public opinion, or social association can find relief in the U.S. When a humanitarian crisis occurs, the U.S. may also grant eligible individuals refugee visas. Once in the country, federal resettlement agencies help match refugees with local communities that can help support their needs; and
Whereas, The number of refugee visas available is determined and set by the President of the United States. In consultation with the cabinet and the House and Senate committees on the judiciary, the President assesses all concerns of humanitarian and national interest to determine the number of visas that will be available for the upcoming fiscal year; and
Whereas, The recent crisis in Syria and Iraq has forced hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, largely from religious minorities in the region—many of which are Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Yazidis—from their hometowns that have been ransacked by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Those displaced persons are unable to return to their homes, and most do not have access to resources needed to fulfill basic needs, including food, water, and shelter. Moreover, these refugees face constant fear of persecution due to nothing more than the faith they claim, and their pronouncement of faith has led to violence as explicit as crucifixions, beheadings, and slavery. Minimal support has been offered to many of the more than three million Iraqis refugees, two million of which were displaced last year alone, and those fortunate to remain in temporary shelters are overburdening and overcrowding neighboring nations and communities who stand on constant guard for fear that they will be the next target of ISIL. As this regional conflict endures, the displacement and imminent migration and persecution of refugees will continue; and
Whereas, Displaced Iraqi refugees must be offered relief from this regional instability and granted entry into the United States. Iraqi refugees have complemented our American society with a proven history of contributing to the economic and social well-being of this nation. In the Chaldean or Catholic Iraqi community of Metro Detroit, which is the largest concentration of Chaldeans outside of Iraq, 61 percent of households founded their own business, and this network of businesses is indispensable to the local economy. Moreover, organizations like the Chaldean Community Foundation offer resources to bind and strengthen the community as well as welcome and support refugees, in part by using community businesses to invest in new members and encourage the advancement of the community; and
Whereas, The current allotment of refugee visas may not be adequate to accommodate these individuals. When an unforeseen emergency arises, the President has the flexibility to issue emergency refugee visas for an affected group if the remaining annual allotment is insufficient to assist these displaced individuals; and
Whereas, The Chaldean Church and its bishop have garnered support for this request and driven a body of people able and willing to sustain and support the incoming refugees. The community stands ready to assist persecuted Iraqis and victims of war rebuild their lives in the U.S.; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the President of the United States to allow an additional 25,000 refugee visas for displaced Iraqis, being the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Yazidis displaced because of their faith; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge that these refugees be given preference for placement in the state of Michigan; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
