Rep. Hank Johnson Joins Refugee Caucus

Press Release

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) has joined the House Refugee Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators dedicated to supporting persecuted men and women who seek asylum in the United States and around the world. Georgia's Fourth Congressional District is one of the country's top refugee resettlement communities.

According to Sandra Mullins, Executive Director, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta (RRISA), approximately 1600 refugees resettle in metropolitan Atlanta each year. 90% of them settle in DeKalb County, which is Georgia's leading resettlement community and one of the top ten in the United States.

"That we welcome those who seek refuge among us has long been a part of our national identity," said Rep. Johnson. "The Fourth District is a national leader in refugee resettlement and we must provide newcomers with the support they need as they escape persecution."

The U.S. accepts a fixed number of refugees annually; 50,000-70,000 have been admitted over the last half-decade. To attain refugee status, a person must prove a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion, or national origin. If accepted as a refugee, the person is sent to the U.S. through a national resettlement agency and referred to a local organization such as RRISA.

According to RRISA, refugees and immigrants add $10 billion each year to the U.S. economy; paid an estimated $133 billion in direct taxes to federal, state, and local governments in 1997; and start 18% of all new small businesses, which account for up to 80% of the new jobs available in the nation each year.

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