The Refugee Justice League today announced an important new tool to help inform, represent, and defend refugees in our communities – the “Refugee Rights Card.”
The League is working with refugee support groups to help orient every new refugee who arrives in Utah. As part of that joint effort, refugees will now be provided with a wallet-sized Refugee Rights Card.
“Refugees in Utah have come from countries where they and their fellow citizens were deeply distrustful of police because law enforcement and government officials were often brutal and corrupt,” said Refugee Justice League co-founder Jim McConkie. “For refugees, learning to trust law enforcement at every level is challenging and difficult. We believe the Refugee Rights Card will protect refugees, help them feel more secure in an unfamiliar system and provide a framework for an even more positive and cooperative relationship between them and law enforcement.”
The Refugee Rights Card explicitly informs law enforcement that a card-holding refugee has legal representation. The card also lists the refugee’s Constitutional rights. The Refugee Justice League is seeking tax-deductible donations to produce and distribute the cards to more than 60,000 refugees and family members throughout Utah.
The Refugee Justice League is a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization of Utah lawyers and leaders volunteering their time and expertise to defend the rights of refugees. The League is accepting fully tax-exempt donations to fund the cost of producing and distributing cards to refugees and their families throughout Utah. To donate, or for more information, please visit www.refugeejustice.org.
