World Refugee Day is an inflection point for IRIS. While our mission remains unchanged — to welcome, support, and empower refugees and immigrants — the individuals and families we serve are gripped by uncertainty and fear.  Far too many immigrants across the country and right here in Connecticut have already been detained or deported. Thousands more remain stranded, unable to reach safety in the U.S. despite having been approved for resettlement. The travel ban and restrictions impacting nationals of 19 countries means millions more have no chance of rebuilding their lives or being reunited with family. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, built on the foundation of the overwhelmingly bipartisan Refugee Act of 1980, serves those who have demonstrated a credible fear of persecution and harm based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. These are the world’s most vulnerable people. We reject the prioritization of others such as Afrikaners who cannot credibly pass the credible fear screening over the thousands who have already been thoroughly vetted, and have waited years, sometimes decades, to be resettled.