A coalition of Christian lawmakers, religious leaders and civic figures is pressing Washington to act on behalf of Jewish Canadians facing rising antisemitism, urging President Donald Trump to establish an expedited legal pathway into the United States for those who fear for their safety. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) sent the request to Trump on Thursday, and the president gave the effort a boost Sunday by sharing a report on the plan with his millions of followers on Truth Social.
National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) founder and President Jason Rapert, speaking to Fox News Digital from Israel on Sunday morning, said he wants Trump to press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly on what he called “roadblocks” against the “quick recognition of the plight” of thousands of Jewish Canadians who fear for their safety.
“We will find out” if Canada is getting in the way of the more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians who have expressed interest in relocating, Rapert said. “Trump should ask Carney right now,” he added. “Canada should be embarrassed and ashamed of these perceived roadblocks. And we’re trying to rally leaders to take a stand.”
The Letter to Trump
The NACL and its partners sent a letter to Trump on Thursday asking him to direct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to create “lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways” for Jewish Canadians and their immediate family members who face persecution or can credibly demonstrate fears for their safety because they are Jewish.
“For generations, America has served as a refuge for people fleeing religious persecution,” the group wrote. “We urge you to ensure that, consistent with federal law and the security interests of the United States, that door remains open to our Jewish brothers and sisters in Canada who need it today.”
Rapert and former U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback signed the letter along with more than 50 state legislators, religious leaders and other civic figures. Copies went to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, congressional leaders and several U.S. senators and representatives.
Any program the administration creates should retain identity, criminal history, medical and security screening, and protect family unity, the signatories said. The letter called for cooperation with states, local governments, Jewish organizations, churches, nonprofits and employers willing to help arriving families establish new lives in the United States.
The Numbers Behind the Push
Canada, a country of roughly 41 million people, has reported nearly 7,000 antisemitic incidents. The United States, with more than 342 million people, has reported fewer than 6,300, Rapert noted.
“It’s definitely a problem” by greater proportions in Canada, Rapert told Fox News Digital, calling the disparity “eerie to hear.” He spoke after a Sunday visit to the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in northern Israel with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers, where he met with a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor.
Rapert said the NACL was first alerted to the concerns of Jewish Canadians considering emigration through a piece in the National Post by Michael Sachs, a Canadian-American Jewish community leader who now serves as Senior Director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to Sachs, Jewish Canadians have cited harassment, vandalism, intimidation, threats and violence against Jewish schools, synagogues, businesses, institutions and families since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, as reasons for wanting to leave.
Carney’s Own Admission
The push comes even as Carney has himself acknowledged a severe rise in antisemitism in Canada, saying his country has failed to adequately protect its Jewish community. “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,” Carney told an audience at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple in June, calling the country’s antisemitism crisis “specific, severe and demands a targeted response.”
Carney said antisemitism in Canada had surged to levels not seen since the aftermath of World War II. More than two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes recorded in the previous year targeted Jewish Canadians, he said, despite Jews making up only about 1 percent of the country’s population. He pointed to bullets fired at Jewish schools, firebombings at synagogues, attacks on community centers and Jewish-owned businesses, and the targeting of Jewish students on university campuses.
Canada has separately drawn scrutiny after a broadcaster there rejected the use of the word “terrorism” in coverage of the September 11 attacks.
States Step Forward
Oklahoma has emerged as one potential destination for relocating families. Jewish and Christian leaders in Tulsa have offered to help receive Canadian Jewish families, and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told Trump his state would welcome Jewish families who legally enter the United States, according to a July 22 letter obtained by Fox News Digital. “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.
Alex Gray, a former deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Security Council from 2019 to 2021, said Oklahoma stands ready. “Oklahoma has a long tradition of helping those seeking refuge from around the world, most notably after the Vietnam War displaced thousands who fought next to American troops,” Gray told Fox News Digital through a spokesperson. “Now, because of Canada’s inability or unwillingness to stand up to global antisemitism, Oklahoma is doing the same.”
Nebraska is considering joining Oklahoma in extending a similar offer, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
“Antisemitism is a moral evil, and Christians must be willing to stand with our Jewish friends when they face hatred and persecution,” Rapert said. “We are asking President Trump and his administration to consider what lawful steps America can take to help Jewish Canadian families who are genuinely concerned for their safety.”
