Reps. Omar and Jacobs Lead Letter Asking the President to Form a Humanitarian Parole Program for Sudanese People

WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) led a letter to President Joe Biden today asking to form a humanitarian parole program for Sudanese people, similar to the humanitarian parole program created for Ukrainians. 

The letter is also signed by Reps. Bush, Cárdenas, Carson, Casar, Clarke, García, Grijalva, Jackson, Jayapal, Kamlager-Dove, Kildee, Lee, Magaziner, McGovern, Norton,  Pallone, Pressley, Quigley, Ramirez,  Schakowsky, Tlaib, and Tonko. 

“We are writing to encourage your Administration to adopt a program for humanitarian parole for Sudan similar to the ones you’ve rightly done for Afghanistan and Ukraine,” the Members wrote. “The humanitarian parole program for Afghanistan and the Uniting for Ukraine policy have shown laudable creativity in adapting to serious humanitarian and human rights crises, and have reaffirmed the generosity and welcoming spirit of the American people, and the United States’ role as a leader in the world when it comes to providing safe refuge for those fleeing persecution and violence.”

“The United States has both the capacity and the generosity of spirit to provide refuge for Sudanese civilians who have been put in an impossibly perilous situation through no fault of their own. As you have repeatedly demonstrated during your Presidency, we are able to open our doors to those fleeing the world’s most brutal conflicts, and we recognize it as a central American value.”

The letter comes after months of devastating violence in Sudan, where conflict between Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia has resulted in widespread atrocities, including potential genocide in Darfur. The Sudanese people have faced unimaginable hardships, including mass displacement, famine, and urgent humanitarian needs affecting an estimated 25 million people. Many are fleeing to neighboring countries already struggling with their own challenges. The violence has been so severe that the U.S State Department has determined it includes war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

You can read the full letter here and below.

Dear President Biden,

June 20, 2024

We are writing to encourage your Administration to adopt a program for humanitarian parole for Sudan similar to the ones you’ve rightly done for Afghanistan and Ukraine. The humanitarian parole program for Afghanistan and the Uniting for Ukraine policy have shown laudable creativity in adapting to serious humanitarian and human rights crises, and have reaffirmed the generosity and welcoming spirit of the American people, and the United States’ role as a leader in the world when it comes to providing safe refuge for those fleeing persecution and violence.

The horrific civil war in Sudan rises to this level. The violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia has led to the world’s highest number of displaced people, including millions of internally displaced people and millions more refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. The level of violence, which the State Department has determined includes war crimes and crimes against humanity, is staggering. In Darfur, many observers have suggested that genocide is once again taking place. Much of the country is on the verge of famine. According to USAID estimates, almost 25 million people still in Sudan are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. This is more than 10 million more people than OCHA estimates need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.

The scale of the suffering in Sudan alone is enough reason to use every tool available to us to provide relief. But there are also important second-order benefits to doing so. The massive refugee flows out of Sudan have put significant burdens on its neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, all of which are already dealing with their own financial or humanitarian crises. The United States can provide tangible support to both the Sudanese civilians enduring this unimaginable hardship, and those countries in the region, by adopting a robust humanitarian parole program.

Establishing a parole program like the ones conducted for Afghans and Ukrainians would also establish legal and safe pathways to Sudanese refugees otherwise vulnerable to human trafficking and smuggling operations.

The United States has both the capacity and the generosity of spirit to provide refuge for Sudanese civilians who have been put in an impossibly perilous situation through no fault of their own. As you have repeatedly demonstrated during your Presidency, we are able to open our doors to those fleeing the world’s most brutal conflicts, and we recognize it as a central American value.

We stand ready to assist in any way we can in formulating plans for the creation of a Sudanese humanitarian parole program, and we thank you for your kind and prompt attention.

Sincerely,

Rep. Ilhan Omar 

Rep. Sara Jacobs 

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