A letter from CWS Wilmington Office Director Wes Magruder
Dear Friend,
On the first day of his administration, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” which suspended the US Refugee Admission Program beginning January 27, 2025. The program will be re-evaluated every 90 days, with no requirements or criteria for when it will re-start.
Unfortunately, this means that CWS Wilmington will be receiving no new arrivals for at least the next three months.
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This is bad news for some of the world’s most vulnerable people; pauses in resettlement, even when temporary, can have cascading impacts on the program as refugees booked for travel are required to repeat lengthy security and medical checks that are only valid for a short window of time. There are over 200,000 refugees who are waiting in the refugee resettlement pipeline, refugees we have pledged to protect.
Included in that pipeline is Asha* whose son, Ahmed* was resettled in Wilmington eight months ago. Since his arrival, Ahmed has been anxiously waiting for his mother to join him. Originally scheduled to arrive next month, Asha’s arrival has now been cancelled as a result of Trump’s order. (*not their real names)
This personal tragedy is compounded hundreds of times over across the country. At a time with unprecedented and growing resettlement needs around the world, suspending the refugee program is an abdication of our core humanitarian values and the leadership role we play around the world. Not only that, but this pause weakens our national security and foreign policy interests.
Traditionally, the US Refugee Admissions Program has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support throughout its decades-long history. Refugee resettlement benefits our communities at every level, bringing enormous economic and sociocultural benefits to our communities and strengthening our national security.
CWS Wilmington knows this to be true because we have witnessed it for ourselves. Our community is a better, more abundant, thriving, and livable space because of all those who have settled here. No matter what happens, we plan to keep serving the refugees whom we have welcomed over these past two years. And we will protect all immigrants who have made the Cape Fear region their new home.
You may be wondering what you can do to stand for welcome alongside CWS. Here are a few possibilities:
- Call and email your Members of Congress: With just a few clicks, urge your elected officials to support refugees and newcomers and safeguard humanitarian programs.
- Give to CWS Wilmington: Provide support to new neighbors already in our community. Go here to donate.
- Join the Immigrant Allies Forum: To join this growing local coalition of immigrant solidarity, send your contact information to wmagruder@cwsglobal.org.
We take seriously the vision of Church World Service: a world where all have food, voice, and a safe place to call home. Thank you for your support in working to make this vision a reality.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Dr. Wesley Magruder
