Exemption for Refugees from "Material Support" prohibition.

This petition concerns the "material support" prohibition found in the USA Patriot Act, which bars terrorist organizations or their supporters from admission to the United States. We, the undersigned, have grave concerns that an overly-broad application of this clause is negatively impacting refugees and asylum seekers who are not terrorists and who urgently require protection.

The U.S. government has decided to admit more than 9,000 refugees from Burma, many ethnic minorities, in 2006 alone. Unfortunately, because of recent legislation including the USA Patriot Act and the Real ID Act, provisions that have expanded the definition of what constitutes terrorist activity, along with the "material support" clause, have caused thousands of refugees from Burma to have their cases threatened by being put on hold and being put at risk of being denied entry into the US without good reason. These refugees are being punished for the very acts which forced them to flee their homes in the first place - supporting the opposition groups in Burma that are fighting for a cause which the U.S. government has openly expressed its support for.

The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act was also renewed by the Bush administration, mandating support for the cause of democracy in Burma. Members of the democratic opposition movements have looked to the United States as one of their strongest foreign allies and supporters. Thousands of refugees, most of whom are ethnic minorities or Christian, have long held hopes of finding safety within U.S. borders. And yet, with the current application of the "material support" prohibition, the U.S. risks becoming complicit in the Burmese Junta's reign of oppression and tyranny on its own people.

The U.S. government must work to protect its nation and citizens against the threat of terror, but it must also strive to protect those who are suffering from tyranny beyond American borders. We urge all members of congress, the President, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the Department of Homeland Security to support a more exclusive definition of terrorism and terrorist activities so that the government may more effectively identify and fight those who are real terrorists, and those who pose a real threat to our liberty.

Finally, refugees of all ethnicities from Burma should be allowed the opportunity to find refuge in the U.S. We urge all members of congress to pressure the Department of Homeland Security to develop a legal interpretation of "material support" that follows the lines of reason and common sense, and which exempts bona fide refugees, whether from Burma or elsewhere, from the bar to admission.