We stand united as people of faith in our commitments to welcome the stranger and to care for the most vulnerable – commitments rooted in our common understanding of our Creator’s love for all and call to serve our neighbors.
In these overlapping holy days of Purim, Lent, and Ramadan, we join our voices together to express our grave concern for the individuals and families seeking refuge in this country. We are particularly devastated and concerned for the welfare of the thousands of refugees who were approved and even ready for travel, only to have their plane tickets taken away.
For more than four decades, our faith-rooted organizations have partnered with the US government to ensure that people forced to flee their country because of conflict, violence, or persecution are vetted and arrive legally, to be welcomed in this country with services to meet their basic needs.
The recent US State Department termination of cooperative agreements with the 10 national resettlement agencies in the US has made already-at-risk people even more vulnerable. We urge all people of faith and goodwill to join us in advocating with our elected leaders for our partnerships with the government to be restored so that we can fully work with those we are called to serve.
We invite you to join us in prayer for all people who are forced to flee home. May they know our deep and abiding commitment to their lives and well-being.
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Alesia Frerichs, President & CEO, Lutheran Services in America
Myal Greene, President & CEO, World Relief
Mark Hetfield, President, HIAS
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism
The Rev. Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Kerry Alys Robinson, President & CEO, Catholic Charities USA
Basharat Saleem, Executive Director, Islamic Society of North America
Richard L. Santos, President & CEO, Church World Service
Ahmed Shehata, Chief Executive Officer, Islamic Relief USA
The Rev. Sarah Shipman, Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO, Global Refuge
About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is one of the nation’s largest national networks of health and human service providers with a mission to cultivate caring communities that advance health and opportunity for all Americans. With 300 nonprofit organizations across 1,400 U.S. communities, the Lutheran Services in America network works to improve outcomes for children, youth and families, improves independence and choice for older adults, champions meaningful services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and strengthens stability and purpose for veterans and others. Formed in 1997, Lutheran Services in America brings together a network of leaders, partners and funders to catalyze innovation, strengthen organizational capacity and advance public policy.
