You have until close of business (5 p.m. Eastern time) on Tuesday, April 24th, to make a statement about the refugee program for the upcoming fiscal year. As I told you here, in past years the May 1st consultation has been dominated by contractors and political activists with a vested interest (in many cases a financial interest) in resettling third worlders to the US.
This is your only chance to express how you feel about it. From this meeting the State Department prepares for the President a recommendation for the program. The President in turn sends a “determination” letter and document to Congress in September about how many refugees and from where they will come for the new fiscal year that begins on October 1. As far as I know (we are not permitted to attend the transmittal of that letter), Congress rubber-stamps what the President wants.
If you are in the Washington, DC area you also have until the 24th to sign up to attend the meeting on May 1. (even if you plan to attend your statement for the record must be received by the 24th, Tuesday!).
See all the details in my earlier post (here).
And, one more thing, any statement that you send for the record by April 24th should also be copied to your Member of Congress and your US Senators.