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

Global Refuge Commends Senators Van Hollen and Cardin for Introducing Secure Act

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

March 26, 2019

Media Contact: Danielle Bernard| dbernard@globalrefuge.org | 410-230-2888

Washington D.C.— In response to Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin introducing the Secure Act of 2019, Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, issued the following statement:

“Right now, there are more than 400,000 people in the U.S. living in uncertainty—at risk of being separated from their families in America, and sent back to a country they left years ago in pursuit of safety and security,” said Vignarajah. “They are here under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED), which can be revoked far too easily. The Secure Act seeks to provide them with a pathway to citizenship and permanent protection from deportation.”

“We cannot pretend to be pro-family if we promote policies that separate families,” continued Vignarajah. “Our faith calls us to protect those in need, to provide shelter, and to love our neighbor. And these families we are talking about are our neighbors. They are our coworkers. They are our children’s classmates and friends. To send them back is to uproot them from the lives they have built and the communities that have welcomed them. There is nothing pro-family about that.”

Global Refuge commends Senators Van Hollen and Cardin for introducing the Secure Act to provide permanent protections for TPS and DED holders.

Founded in 1939, Global Refuge is one of the largest immigration and refugee resettlement agencies in the United States, and only one of two agencies called upon by the U.S. government to help reunite children with parents after family separations. Global Refuge is nationally recognized for its leadership working with and advocating for refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, immigrants in detention, families fractured by migration and other vulnerable populations. Through 80 years of service and advocacy, Global Refuge has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America.

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