US Jewish groups hail Biden decision to take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees

A wide array of US Jewish groups praised the Biden administration’s Thursday announcement that it will welcome 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.

The White House decision was hailed by mainstream umbrella groups such as the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America, along with the more progressive HIAS refugee resettlement agency and T’Ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, representing the relatively wide support in the American Jewish community in favor of a welcoming refugee policy.

A senior administration official provided initial details for the decision in a briefing with reporters earlier Thursday.

The 100,000 Ukrainians allowed into the US will be through a range of legal pathways that will include the US Refugee Admissions Program, parole, and immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Priority will be placed on approving Ukrainians who already have relatives living in the US. Special focus will also be placed on more vulnerable populations, including LGBT individuals, those with medical needs, third-country nationals who have already sought refuge in Ukraine, journalists, and dissidents, the official said.

The US still expects that the vast majority of the roughly 3.5 million and rising refugees will prefer to resettle in European countries closer to home, but there are several cities in the US with tens of thousands of Ukrainian immigrants who are likely looking to bring their relatives in.

The official said that opening US borders to refugees will also help ease the burden on countries like Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, and Hungary, which have already taken in millions.

Lauding the announcement, JFNA senior vice president Elana Broitman said, “The Jewish people understand the importance of taking in refugees on a very personal level.”

“As someone who came to the United States as a Ukrainian refugee myself, I can attest to how important and life-changing refugee support can be for both those fleeing a crisis and those welcoming them in,” she added.

Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff noted his organization’s letter to US President Joe Biden earlier this month calling on him to take the step he announced Thursday.

“Having just returned from the border, I can attest that this new channel for refugee resettlement will be a very welcome option for them, as they consider their paths out of harm’s way. We wish all refugees safe passage and a warm welcome as we strive for a peaceful resolution to this deadly conflict,” he added.

HIAS CEO Mark Hetfield also welcomed the news and expressed his hope that those coming in will be ensured “all of the protections and benefits of refugee status, and be assisted with voluntarily returning home to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.”

The organization’s senior vice president, Melanie Nezer, noted that the White House announcement still leaves many questions unanswered.

“Will vulnerable people, like asylum seekers from African countries who have not received the same warm welcome as others fleeing Ukraine, be included? How will the refugees who have been waiting to be resettled in the US be affected? Will private citizens in the US be able to sponsor Ukrainian refugees? We look forward to working with the administration in shaping this response,” she said.

T’ruah tweeted that the announcement was “amazing news,” while providing its own caveat.

“And, we hold communities in our hearts who are not receiving this welcome like Haitians, Cameroonians, and more. There’s so much the US needs to do to welcome with dignity,” the group added.