This is a podcast interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. In February, President Biden announced that he would restore the United States partnership in refugee resettlement by inviting up to 125,000 refugees to our nation in the next fiscal year.  He also said he would increase the number of refugees previously designated for resettlement in this fiscal year.  The Presidential Determination increasing refugee resettlement in this fiscal year to 65,000 has not been yet signed.  One workable response to rebuilding would be to resettle refugees to reach those numbers.  In the midst of the turmoil, this would be one significant step to protect the vulnerable. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Report on the few refugees resettled in 2021 can be found at: https://www.rescue.org/sites/default/files/document/5783/ircmid-yearrefugeeadmissionsreport-april2021.pdf

Chaplain Abdul-Malik Ryan’s article on Ramadan can be found at: https://blogs.depaul.edu/dmm/2021/04/12/ramadan-and-the-vincentian-question-guidance-and-inspiration-in-times-of-challenge/

For ideas on how to respond, IRC offers this action: https://act.rescue.org/xv4TiDR

HIAS offers these actions:  https://www.hias.org/get-involved/take-action

You can find information on the Illinois resettlement agencies and their work at:

https://rcusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019IllinoisRCUSA.pdf

Chicago programs include:

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago Refugee Resettlement Program: https://www.catholiccharities.net/GetHelp/OurServices/RefugeeResettlementServices.aspx

Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago: https://www.ecachicago.org/project/give-clean-water/

RefugeeOne: www.refugeeone.org

Heartland Human Care Services: www.heartlandalliance.org/program/rics

World Relief Chicagoland Refugee Resettlement: https://chicagoland.worldrelief.org/resettlement/