Refugee Resettlement Organization Celebrates Biden Immigration Plan

Contact: Timothy Young | tyoung@lirs.org | 443-257-6310

Washington D.C. – President Biden has released his plan to reform the nation’s broken immigration system and intends to send the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 to Congress later today in an effort to restore humanitarian leadership, keep families and communities safe, and address root causes of migration. The plan includes, among other provisions, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, automatic green cards for Dreamers, resources to address the 1.3 million immigration case backlog, the revival of the Central American Minor program, funding for alternatives to detention, and the establishment of refugee processing centers in Central America.

The following is a statement by Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to vulnerable immigrant communities in the U.S.:

“We are deeply grateful to the Biden administration for keeping its word to refugees, asylum seekers, and all those who stand for America as a welcoming nation. The plan is full of bold yet attainable solutions that open the doors to bipartisan support.   

This is what the intersection of compassion and common sense looks like. Hardworking people who contribute to our communities every day, who have lived here for years, deserve an opportunity to earn citizenship. We are encouraged by the moral and political courage President-Elect Biden has displayed in prioritizing immigration.   

In stark contrast to the Trump administration’s cuts, an increase in foreign aid, the revival of the Central American Minor program and the establishment of refugee processing centers in Central America demonstrate a commitment to addressing crises in our own hemisphere.   

We are thrilled that the plan includes funding for alternatives to detention, such as Family Case Management programs. Before the Trump administration, our organization’s pilot programs connected asylum-seeking families with vital resources and ensured compliance with their immigration requirements – at a fraction of the taxpayer cost of detention. These programs will be critical to a humane system, and their inclusion in the Biden campaign platform, and now in the U.S. Citizenship Act, shows the new administration’s dedication to keeping its promises.  

President Biden’s immigration plan demonstrates that humane policy is smart policy. If passed, this legislation will modernize our immigration system, keep families together, expand economic opportunity, address the root causes of migration, and restore United States leadership as a refuge for those fleeing persecution.”