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

Skip Navigation
Act Now Donate
Start of main content.

News // Family Reunification

Global Refuge CEO Testifies to Congress On Behalf of Migrant Children

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

August 1, 2019

Global Refuge to Congress: End Family Separation

and recommendations to safeguard the well-being of unaccompanied migrant children

Amid widespread reports of negligence, abuse and deaths of migrant children in U.S. detention facilities, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO of Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (LIRS), today addressed the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, calling for immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children under the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Vignarajah unveiled a series of recommendations, including urging Congress to require all large-scale influx shelters, such as the notorious Homestead facility, to adhere to strict, well-established child-welfare standards, including employing appropriate child-welfare professionals who are vetted and licensed.  Watch her testimony below.

Thumbnail for a video entitled 'LIRS Testimony to Congress on Unaccompanied Migrant Children'

The full list of recommendations is available here.

The Latest

  • News

    February 13, 2026

    Faith, Health, and Refugee Groups Call for Increased Accountability

    Amid national outcry over immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, civil society groups across America have called on Congress to place guardrails and accountability measures in place to rein in DHS practices toward immigrants and communities. 

    Read More
  • News

    February 12, 2026

    Crafting for the Community

    A Global Refuge donor sells pottery to support services for refugees and immigrants.

    Read More
  • Advocacy

    February 5, 2026

    Refugees, immigrants from Burma face increasing threats to status

    Five years ago, Burma’s burgeoning democracy was upended in a bloody coup by the military junta. Learn more and how to help Burmese refugees.

    Read More
  • Press Release

    January 30, 2026

    Global Refuge Receives Grant from Texas Bar Foundation to Combat Immigration Scams Targeting Afghan Nationals

    Global Refuge has received a grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to support a new initiative aimed at preventing Afghan nationals in Texas from falling prey to immigration scams.

    Read More
  • News

    January 30, 2026

    F.A.Q. on the Federal Court Decision to Stop Unlawful Arrests and Detention of Refugees under Operation PARRIS

    On January 28, a federal judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order stopping the Administration from arresting and detaining lawfully admitted and resettled refugees in Minnesota under Operation PARRIS while a court case on the issue proceeds. Global Refuge breaks the judgment down.

    Read More

Share