A Statement From Our President & CEO

Dear Friends, 
 

This week holds deep personal significance for our team at Inspiritus. It marks 28 years since Aimee, our Executive Director of Refugee & Immigrant Services, and her family arrived in the United States as refugees—seeking safety, stability, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. The welcome they received changed the trajectory of Aimee’s life and made it possible for her to now serve others walking that same path.

It is from that lived experience that Aimee—and all of us at Inspiritus—respond with deep concern to the 2026 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions, which sets the admissions ceiling at just 7,500 refugees, the lowest level in U.S. history, while explicitly prioritizing Afrikaners from South Africa. This decision represents a deeply disappointing retreat from the United States’ longstanding commitment to humanitarian protection.

At a moment of record global displacement, choosing to so drastically limit lifesaving protection is a profound abandonment of families fleeing war, persecution, and unimaginable violence. Many have already completed years of rigorous security screening and are simply waiting for the chance to rebuild their lives in safety. To close the door now—selectively and so drastically—is not only deeply disappointing, it is morally indefensible. It is an affront to Aimee, her family, and to refugees who have made our country stronger for generations. It means fewer families will receive the same life-changing chance Aimee’s family once did.

As the CEO of Inspiritus, I can assure you that refugees do not arrive as burdens; they arrive with skills, resilience, and an unwavering determination to rebuild. They become neighbors, entrepreneurs, essential workers, students, caregivers, and leaders. Our communities and economies are stronger because of refugees — Aimee is a testament to that truth.

Inspiritus remains steadfast in our mission to guide disrupted lives from surviving to thriving, and we will continue to advocate for policies that protect the vulnerable and strengthen the communities we serve.

Twenty-eight years ago, Aimee and her family’s future was transformed by the promise of safety and welcome. My hope — and conviction — is that America continues to offer that same promise to families seeking safety today, and that Inspiritus is able to be a part of this important work.

Sincerely,

John Moeller 
President & CEO 
Inspiritus