As the war in Ukraine rages on, with more than four million refugees having fled the country, Jewish communities urge the Administration to take the next steps on President Biden’s pledge to welcome 100,000 refugees from Ukraine.

Last month, Jewish Federations mobilized 376 national and local faith organizations to urge the Biden Administration to expedite admissions for Ukrainians with close family ties in the U.S. so they may wait here in safety, along with their families. The Administration responded to our call and President Biden announced that the U.S. would welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians.

We eagerly await more details on when the refugees will arrive and what admissions pathways they will take so that we can properly plan for their resettlement.

Among these refugees, there are 17,000 Lautenberg applicants of many faiths whose U.S. family members have applied for them to be admitted to the U.S., yet they have waited for months in Ukraine and now in eastern Europe as their cases are processed.

Jewish Federations of North America urges the Administration to:

• Expedite admissions for Ukrainians with close family ties in the U.S. so they can wait here in safety.
• Share details about timing and admission pathways for the 100,000 refugees the President announced and most crucially, launch the admissions process
• Prioritize using the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, rather than humanitarian parole, so that admitted Ukrainians are eligible for all of the benefits entitled to refugees.

To take action, visit jfeds.org/ActionAlertUkraineApril.

For more information on how Jewish Federation in the Heart of NJ is responding to the crisis in Ukraine, click here.