Press Contact: Miji Bell
mbell@lirs.org; 410-230-2841
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) applauds those provisions of the Secure the Northern Triangle Act (S. 3106/H.R. 5850), introduced by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), that recognize and seek a compassionate response to the refugee situation in Central America. We commend the legislation for seeking to reinvigorate the United States’ leadership in protecting refugees fleeing for their lives.
As the national organization established by Lutheran congregations to serve uprooted people, we embrace this legislative first step towards ensuring that vulnerable migrants, including children and families fleeing persecution and seeking protection, are treated with dignity and compassion.
LIRS is pleased that the bill provides for expanded refugee processing for Central Americans, increased protections for unaccompanied children, and legal representation for vulnerable persons during immigration proceedings.
We urge the Senate to pass this bill as a signal of our nation’s proud history of and moral responsibility to welcome the newcomer and protect the persecuted.
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