Coalition asks State Department and Homeland Security to consider expedited legal routes for eligible Jewish Canadians, citing rising harassment, threats and violenceynet|In a letter to Trump, the National Association of Christian Lawmakers and partner organizations called on the administration to instruct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to examine “lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways” for eligible Jewish Canadian citizens and their immediate families.Christian coalition asks Trump to offer Jewish Canadians new legal path to US residency (Photo: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)The signatories pointed to what they described as a worsening atmosphere of harassment, intimidation, vandalism, threats and violence directed at Jewish communities in Canada since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.“These numbers represent more than statistics,” the letter read. “They represent families who increasingly question whether they can safely send their children to Jewish schools, worship openly, display their faith publicly, or continue building their lives in communities where they no longer feel secure.”The coalition stressed that any special immigration arrangement would remain subject to existing US law and national-security procedures, including identity verification, criminal background checks, medical screening and other admissibility requirements.The letter also pointed to what it described as growing interest among Jewish Canadians in leaving the country for the United States.According to the document, advocates working with affected families said more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians had expressed interest in relocating because of concerns over personal safety.Oklahoma was singled out as one possible destination.The letter said Jewish and Christian leaders in Tulsa had indicated they were prepared to help receive Jewish Canadian families, while Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt had also signaled a willingness to welcome those seeking safety and new opportunities in the United States.The coalition argued that those who might relocate should not be viewed only through the lens of humanitarian protection, but also as potential long-term contributors to American communities.“They bring talent, faith, family values, entrepreneurship, and a sincere desire to contribute to the Nation that offers them safety and religious liberty,” the letter said.The signatories also praised Trump’s stated efforts to combat antisemitism and defend religious freedom, while calling on him to take further action specifically on behalf of Jewish Canadians.“Religious liberty must be more than a principle we proclaim; it must be a principle we are willing to defend,” the letter concluded.Comments