National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Opposes Anti-Syrian and Anti-Iraqi Refugee Legislation

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) strongly opposes the so-called American SAFE Act (H.R. 4038), which would effectively block all refugees from Syria and Iraq from being resettled into the United States.

"We believe that America can be safe and secure without sacrificing our cherished values,” said National Director Christopher Kang. “The measure of moral leadership is our response when the world is tested, not what we do in times of peace and prosperity. The United States has a noble tradition of responding to major wars and conflicts by resettling refugees from across the globe—three million refugees have been safely admitted since 1975. We must not turn our backs on them now."

 All potential refugees already face the highest level of scrutiny and security screening before arriving in the United States. The Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, and State, as well as the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center all play an integral role to ensure that potential refugees will not pose a threat to our country. Those who are admitted for resettlement are often the most vulnerable—including those fleeing violence or persecution—and have made valuable contributions to communities throughout our country each and every day.

 NCAPA has urged the House of Representatives to oppose H.R. 4038 and was proud to join a coalition of 81 refugee and immigration law experts; humanitarian aid organizations; and faith, labor, and civil and human rights groups in sending a letter to Members of Congress in support of the U.S. refugee resettlement program.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.