New name, same mission! LIRS is now Global Refuge. Learn more.

Stand with refugees.

This giving season, double your impact for refugee and immigrant families with a 2X matched donation up to $50,000.

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Donate
Start of main content.

Press Release // Immigration and Asylum

568 Faith Leaders Call on Congress to Pass the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

March 4, 2021

Contact: Timothy Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org | 443-257-6310

568 faith leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) today called for the timely passage of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 in a letter sent to members of Congress. The letter, spearheaded by Global Refuge, the nation’s largest faith-based organization dedicated exclusively to serving immigrants, urges elected officials to make haste in legislating long-overdue reforms to U.S. immigration policy.

“Guided by our faith values and biblical teachings, we believe that immigration policies must prioritize and honor the God-given dignity of each person, especially those who live on the margins of society,” reads the letter. “In view of a new opportunity to make fair and compassionate transformations to our nation’s broken immigration system, we call on Congress to come together around a long overdue solution that reflects our shared values as a nation.”

The bill includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, automatic green card eligibility for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status recipients and undocumented farmworkers, resources to address the immigration case backlog, an increase in family-based visas, reinstatement of the Central American Minors program, expansion of family case management programs, and an increase of immigrant integration services, among other provisions.

“President Biden’s immigration plan demonstrates that humane policy is smart policy,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge. “If passed, this legislation will modernize our immigration system, keep families together, expand economic opportunity, address the root causes of migration, and restore U.S. leadership as a refuge for those fleeing persecution.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the U.S., with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across 50 states and the Caribbean region. Global Refuge is one of the most prominent refugee resettlement agencies, and has assisted over half a million migrants seeking safety and hope in the U.S. over the course of its 80-year history.

“We ask God to guide our nation and grant the grace of a welcoming heart,” concludes the letter. “To that end, we ask you to work collaboratively, with haste, to promote this comprehensive legislation through Congress and provide lasting solutions that will strengthen our nation for generations to come.”

Read the full letter signed by 568 faith leaders across 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, including 52 bishops, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Reverend Elizabeth A. Eaton, Chair of the Conference of Bishops of the ELCA, Bishop Tracie Bartholomew, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, Charlotte Haberaecker, and President and CEO of Global Refuge, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah.

The Latest

  • News

    November 26, 2024

    Jesus Was a Refugee: An Advent Calendar Devotional

    We invite you to download our Advent Story Calendar. Each day of Advent, as you reflect on the Holy Family's journey as a displaced people at the vulnerable time of childbirth, experience stories of immigrants, former refugees, and supporters in their own words as together, we build a more welcoming world.  

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    November 6, 2024

    Global Refuge Reaffirms Commitment to Refugees and Immigrants as Nation Prepares for New Administration

    In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, Global Refuge remains steadfast in its mission to serve vulnerable immigrant and refugee communities across the United States.

    Read More
  • News

    October 31, 2024

    What’s America’s superpower? Immigration, says Global Refuge’s Krish O’Mara Vignarajah

    Global Refuge President & CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah recently took the stage at TEDxApex Women in Apex, North Carolina to make the case that the United States owes its preeminence on the global stage to one key asset: immigration.  

    Read More
  • Advocacy · Immigration and Asylum

    October 23, 2024

    What is the CHNV Parole Program?

    The Biden administration opened a new program allowing certain nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to apply for entry to  the U.S. for a temporary stay of up to two years.

    Read More
  • Advocacy

    October 17, 2024

    Six Migration and Climate Displacement Takeaways from Climate Week NYC

    The Global Refuge Advocacy team attended the 2024 Climate Week NYC—a massive gathering of practitioners from public policy, philanthropy, the private sector, science, and other disciplines focused on the climate crisis.

    Read More

Share