FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2023
Contact: Pablo DeJesús | info@uusj.org

 

UUSJ is Proud to Join and Help Launch a Campaign to #LetAsylumSeekers Work Faster

 

WASHINGTON—Today, more than 35 national and local organizations launched a new campaign to #LetASylumSeekersWork faster. The effort comes at a time of historic national labor shortages. Additionally,  people seeking asylum in the United States are eager to support themselves and join the labor force and are currently required to wait up to six months or more to access work permits. Groups behind the effort are calling for urgent congressional action to reduce the amount of time asylum seekers must wait before being eligible to apply for work permits. 

Specifically, this campaign is encouraging support for the bi-partisan House Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act, which would reduce wait times, allowing people who have pending asylum applications in the United States to access work permits after 30 days, as opposed to the current statutory 180. 

Business leaders, faith leaders, state and local leaders, members of Congress, and people seeking safety themselves have come together with a single message: let asylum seekers work. Doing so would be a win for people seeking asylum, a win for local communities, and a win for businesses and the economy.

Both the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) are members of the new campaign to #LetASylumSeekersWork.

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“Unitarian Universalists are happy to join many allied organizations in the Let Asylum Seekers Work Campaign,” said Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice. “We strongly support the long overdue effort to give asylum seekers quicker and easier access to work authorization. They want to work and their families need that income to survive and thrive. Our UU commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of all people gives this campaign a moral importance. At the same time, all over the country businesses are seeking additional willing employees to meet long-standing economic needs and service their customers. Likewise, jurisdictions that welcome asylum seekers — immigrants — into their communities, and workforce, yield positive results for their local area economies, adding needed vitality and activity. This is a win-win situation for our morals and our policy, for our economies and our labor force. A win-win for our communities and our people. We call on Congress to move quickly to make this happen! ”

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