For Immediate Release:
September 13, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT:
Miji Bell
mbell@lirs.org; 410-230-2841
WASHINGTON, DC – Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is deeply disappointed in reports that the Trump Administration is considering capping the number of refugee arrivals at fewer than 50,000 for fiscal year 2018—the lowest cap in more than three decades.
The decision to accept fewer than 50,000 refugees would be devastating to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and would put the lives of tens of thousands of refugee men, women, and children at risk. With nearly 23 million refugee displaced during the worst global refugee crisis in history, now is not the time to turn our backs on vulnerable people. Refugees come to the United States to flee persecution and violence and to build a better life. Denying them this opportunity is counter to our values as Americans and as Christians.
We urge our elected representatives, faith leaders, and all Americans to demand that the White House allow more than 50,000 refugees to be admitted this upcoming fiscal year.
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Founded in 1939, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is the second largest refugee resettlement agency in the United States. It is nationally recognized for its leadership advocating with refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, immigrants in detention, families fractured by migration and other vulnerable populations. Through more than 75 years of service and advocacy, LIRS has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America.