Washington Update
Do These Come in a 7½ Narrow? As the search for a new LIRS Washington representative continues, I am temporarily taking on many of the roles previously played by Merrill Smith. Stepping into Merrill's shoes is not an easy task. They are way too big, and we have different tastes: he likes the traditional models, and I like newer styles. But they both at least protect our feet and allow us to walk with pride and determination; mostly up on the Hill to meet with congressional staffers, pushing LIRS's issues, talking about refugee admissions, getting support for increased funding on the Migrations and Refugee Assistance account and for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, or looking for new co-sponsors for the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act. These are the main issues Merrill and I have worked on during this congressional year, and they continue to be the focus of my work now that he has gone. I am not hindered by the size or style of the shoes. I am also not discouraged because the State Department is taking too long to get its new systems in order to process refugee arrivals or because our government is creating a new cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security, which will include the Immigration and Naturalization Service and could make our work more demanding. I am more determined than ever to face these challenges and to support, protect and promote our mission of bringing new hope and new life for the foreign-born. So now more than ever we need your patience, your good will and your positive efforts in working against the obstacles facing us. It is a difficult road we have ahead, and I fear it is a new path—a longer, more rugged path that is meant to challenge us and remind us time and again of our mission. I cannot walk this path alone though, especially in these big shoes. I need my colleagues in Baltimore and our affiliates and ambassadors all across the country to support me. And I need you. It is your voices I need to bring to the halls of Congress and let it be known that we will not stand by while our brothers and sisters are waiting in the pipelines. We will move forward, we will write letters and articles, make phone calls, hold meetings and tell our government that we understand the world is different now. We want to feel secure too, and we will do anything to promote national security. But this can be done while our doors remain open, while America, the nation of immigrants, still stands for justice and freedom and hope for all.
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