Congolese refugees march in DC, demand more help even as thousands are resettled in North Carolina with taxpayer benefits

A group of Congolese refugees was seen protesting in Washington, DC, on Monday, calling on the US to increase its involvement in addressing violence in central Africa, despite data showing thousands from the region have already been resettled in the US in recent years.

According to reporting from the Daily Caller News Foundation, Congolese Tutsi demonstrators marched near the White House to protest against the governments of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Activists accused both governments of carrying out anti-Tutsi violence and called on US officials to take stronger action.

One protester held a sign that read “Stop the erasure. Justice for BanyaMulenge & Tutsi.” Other protesters chanted “We need justice!”

The protest drew attention online, including from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who responded on X, “Obama and Biden flew around 120,00[0] refugees by airplane from the Congo and resettled them across the United States as part of the US Refugee Admissions Program created by President Jimmy Carter.” 

Miller referenced how, in 1980, President Carter signed a law that provides refugees with a pathway to citizenship and access to public benefits, including healthcare, housing assistance, food aid, education, and more.

Data from Morse Research shows that 123,496 Congolese refugees have been resettled in the US between fiscal years 2012 and 2026. 5,626 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Congo were resettled in North Carolina alone. These migrants were resettled with full taxpayer-funded USRAP (US Refugee Admissions Program) benefits, and total obligations exceeded $690 million.