Posts by worldrelief
World Relief Denounces State Department FY19 Refugee Cap
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
September 17, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
World Relief Denounces State Department FY19 Refugee Cap
Evangelical refugee assistance charity urges a restored cap of 75,000
Baltimore, Md. â Today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a press conference the Administrationâs refugee policy for Fiscal Year 2019, which includes a decision to lower the refugee ceiling to 30,000 people â lower, even, than Fiscal Year 2018âs historically low cap of 45,000. With just two weeks left in Fiscal Year 2018, the U.S. has admitted fewer than 21,000 refugees, which makes clear that the administration sees this ceiling merely as a maximum, not as a goal.
World Relief CEO Tim Breene commented: âThis repeated reduction in the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. is incredibly troubling. Not only is it a continuation of a series of unprecedented attacks on our American values and on the humanitarian nature of the refugee resettlement program, but it falls far short of helping the large number of vulnerable people around the world. This is just another step in the systematic dismantling of a program that exists to shelter people who need our support and protection. America can do better.â
Throughout the nearly 40 years of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, the average refugee ceiling was above 90,000 until last year when it was cut to 45,000 individuals. This shift comes in the midst of the worst refugee crisis in history; over 68 million people are forcibly displaced throughout the world, and over 25 million are refugees.
World Relief President Scott Arbeiter responded: âA cap of 30,000 jeopardizes the safety of future refugees, including persecuted Christians, who will no longer be able to find refuge in the U.S., nor does it reflect the actual capacity or willingness of Americans to receive and resettle refugees. This decision contradicts the administrationâs declared commitment to helping persecuted Christian and religious minorities in dangerous and oppressive countries. Evangelicals should be concerned by this assault against our call to support âthe least of these.ââ
World Relief believes America has a responsibility to welcome refugees both as a nation of faith and as a nation founded by immigrants. It is time for Americaâs policies to reflect this responsibility with a cap of at least 75,000.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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About World Relief:
World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
Frontline Report: The Border
Lea este artĂculo en Español, AquĂ.
Ted Oswald, World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services staff attorney, and Kevin Woehr, DOJ Accredited Representative with World Relief DuPage/Aurora, recently returned from Tijuana, Mexico as part of a team comprised of World Relief staff from across the U.S. advising asylum seekers at the border. The following offers a brief but powerful glimpse into their time on the border.
A Venezuelan family of six huddled together as they told us their story. They were fleeing political persecution from their government for not supporting the ruling party. After their 18-year old pregnant daughter was arrested under false charges and brutally beaten, the family fled the country. At the border, they tried to plead for asylum, but were turned away. And so they tried again. This time they were heard â but told they could only take their two youngest children. Two must stay behind. Knowing they could not and would not be separated, they refused. Now they wait, together. They are number 601 in line.
Seeking Refuge
Each day, hundreds of people come to the Tijuana border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico, fleeing all manner of violence and poverty. These are the families hoping to apply for asylum in the U.S. Praying for a new beginning. And for safety.
At the border, their names are added to a list. A record of all those applying for asylum â and one that can grow to over 1,000 entries long. Each day, a new batch of numbers are called and these asylum seekers are interviewed. There, the U.S. must assess whether asylum seekers have a credible fear of persecution on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The validity of these fears are determined during this interview. Not many can meet the specific requirements, and asylum seekers often face prolonged detention while their full asylum claim is judged. If denied, they are deported back to their home country. If approved, however, they are granted new life in the U.S.
Stories of the Line
This week, as we listened to the recounting of past trauma and held up these very human stories of loss, fear, pain and hope against the strict standards of asylum law, we prayed fervently for Godâs justice and mercy for these suffering and vulnerable people.
In the asylum line, children napped on the floor and parents sat by the fence waiting for the custodian of the list with the hope that maybe, just maybe, some of them would add their names. We estimated that over 1,000 peopleâs names were on the waitlist, and that it would take 4-7 weeks from when they signed up to the moment of their interview.
Alongside that line, we met men, women and children who told us their stories:
A young woman from Mexico told us of the fateful night she was riding home from work in a local taxi. A gang pulled in front of the car, got out and killed the driver, then threatened her and her colleague. They promised that if she ever talked to the police she would be killed. In such a small town, the woman knew that though she did not know them â they knew her, and likely her family too. A few months later, her brother and uncle were killed. And so she fled.
An 18-year old Honduran boy told us of his escape from the Mara 18, an infamous and violent gang who had tried to recruit him. They threatened him frequently, trying to force him to work for them by extorting local families. When he refused, he was kidnapped and locked in a house, where one evening he was able to escape. He cried as he told us he was never able to say goodbye to his family.
A young couple from Honduras told us of their escape from gang violence and harassment. The wife has been raped, and though she contacted the police, nothing was done. Now, several months pregnant, she and her husband are seeking asylum in the hopes of beginning a new life.
Eye of the Storm
At the end of the days we began to process the stories we had heard. Stories of lives already ravaged by persecution on so many different levels (physical, emotional, sexual and mental), lives disrupted and broken, yet still somehow still intact, now standing at the border. Here these lives waited, preparing to plead their case for asylum.
As we advised individuals and families on the likely realities of applying for asylum in the U.S, we simply wished we could give them good news; news that the pain and fear was over and that they could begin to heal and restore. And yet our words were simply more words of preparation for the hardships that were still to come: detention, interviews, family separation, possible deportation, attorney fees and more. The storm was not over. It would continue on.
There were days when this knowledge was crippling. When hope evaded us. And yet, we held on to the hope that our counsel and encouragement would provide these vulnerable individuals and families with the support they needed to journey through the next phase of the storm.
Our time on the border was a clear reminder that this work is powerful, humbling and, sometimes, even holy. As our team returns to the U.S., we will continue to bear witness to what weâve encountered at the border. We ask that you would join us in continued prayer for this important work and for peace for the hundreds of families seeking refuge at our border.
Ted Oswald has served with World Relief since 2017 as the Immigrant Legal Services (ILS) program director and attorney where he provides immigration legal services, mobilizes volunteers, and offers community legal education seminars. A licensed attorney, Ted has a Juris Doctor from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, a Graduate Diploma in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies from the American University in Cairo, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UC Davis. He is the author of three novels, Because We Are: A Novel of Haiti, There is a Land, and Little Flower.
Kevin Woehr Kevin Woehr is a partially DOJ Accredited Representative with World Relief DuPage/Aurora and has been a member of the legal team since August of 2012. As a Senior Immigration Specialist, Kevin represents clients before the Department of Homeland Security, providing legal counsel on a wide range of administrative processes. Additionally, Kevin oversees the application process of hundreds of eligible young adults each year in the capacity of DACA program coordinator. He is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish and was born and raised in Chile.
Reporte de Primera LĂnea: Reflexiones desde la Frontera
Read this article in English, here.
Ted Oswald, un abogado de la oficina de Servicios Legales de Immigracion en World Relief Sacramento, recientemente regreso de Tijuana, Mexico como parte de un equipo compuesto de personal de World Relief de todos los EE.UU. asesorando a los solicitantes de asilo en la frontera. A continuaciĂłn, se ofrece una breve pero poderosa visiĂłn de su tiempo en la frontera.
Una familia de seis venezolanos se acurrucaron juntos mientras nos contaban su historia. HuĂan de la persecuciĂłn polĂtica de su gobierno por no apoyar al partido gobernante. DespuĂ©s de que su hija embarazada de 18 años fue arrestada bajo cargos falsos y brutalmente golpeada, la familia huyĂł del paĂs. En la frontera, intentaron pedir asilo, pero fueron rechazados. Y entonces lo intentaron de nuevo. Esta vez fueron escuchados, pero dijeron que solo podĂan llevar a sus dos hijos mĂĄs pequeños. Dos deben quedarse atrĂĄs. Sabiendo que no podĂan y no estarĂan separados, se negaron. Ahora esperan, juntos. Ellos son el nĂșmero 601 en lĂnea.
Buscando Refugio
Cada dĂa, cientos de personas llegan al cruce fronterizo de Tijuana entre los EE.UU. y MĂ©xico, huyendo de toda clase de violencia y pobreza. Estas son las familias que esperan solicitar asilo en los Estados Unidos. Orando por un nuevo comienzo. Y por seguridad.
En la frontera, sus nombres son agregados a una lista. Un registro de todos los que solicitan asilo – y una que puede crecer a mĂĄs de 1,000 entradas de largo. Cada dĂa, se llama un nuevo lote de nĂșmeros y estos solicitantes de asilo son entrevistados. AllĂ, los EE.UU. deben evaluar si los solicitantes de asilo tienen un temor creĂble de persecuciĂłn en basado en su raza, religiĂłn, nacionalidad, opiniĂłn polĂtica o pertenencia a un determinado grupo social. La validez de estos temores se evalĂșa durante esta entrevista. No muchos pueden cumplir con los requisitos especĂficos, y los solicitantes de asilo a menudo se enfrentan una detenciĂłn prolongada mientras su solicitud de asilo es juzgada completamente. Si se les niega, son deportados a su paĂs de origen. Si se les aprueba, no obstante, se les otorga una nueva vida en los EE.UU.
Historias en la Linea
Esta semana, mientras escuchamos el recuento de los traumas pasados y resaltamos estas historias muy humanas de pérdida, miedo, dolor y esperanza en contra de los estrictos eståndares de la ley de asilo, oramos fervientemente por la justicia y misericordia de Dios para esta gente sufrientes y vulnerables.
En la lĂnea de asilo, los niños dormĂan la siesta en el suelo y los padres se sentaban junto a la cerca esperando a el guardian de la lista con la esperanza de que tal vez, solo tal vez, algunos de ellos agregaran sus nombres. Estimamos que mĂĄs de 1,000 nombres de personas estaban en la lista de espera, y que tomarĂa de 4 a 7 semanas desde que se inscribieron hasta el momento de su entrevista.
Al costado de esa lĂnea, nos encontramos con hombres, mujeres y niños que nos contaron sus historias:
Una joven de MĂ©xico nos contĂł la fatĂdica noche en que viajaba a su casa del trabajo en un taxi local. Una pandilla se detuvo frente al automĂłvil, saliĂł y matĂł al conductor, luego la amenazĂł a ella y a su colega. Le prometieron que si alguna vez hablaba con la policĂa, la matarĂa. En una ciudad tan pequeña, la mujer sabĂa que, aunque ella no los conocĂa â ellos si la conocĂan a ella y probablemente a su familia tambiĂ©n. Unos meses mĂĄs tarde, su hermano y su tĂo fueron asesinados. Y entonces ella huyĂł.
Un niño hondureño de 18 años nos contĂł sobre su escape de la Mara 18, una pandilla abominable y violenta que habĂa tratado de reclutarlo. Lo amenazaron con frecuencia, tratando de obligarlo a trabajar para ellos extorsionando a las familias locales. Cuando se negĂł, fue secuestrado y encerrado en una casa, donde en una noche pudo escapar. LlorĂł cuando nos dijo que nunca pudo despedirse de su familia.
Una joven pareja de Honduras nos hablĂł de su escape de la violencia y el acoso de pandillas. La esposa ha sido violada, y aunque contactĂł a la policĂa, no se hizo nada. Ahora, con varios meses de embarazo, ella y su esposo buscan asilo con la esperanza de comenzar una nueva vida.
El Ojo de la Tormenta
Al final de los dĂas comenzamos a procesar las historias que habĂamos escuchado. Historias de vidas ya devastadas por la persecuciĂłn en tantos niveles diferentes (fĂsico, emocional, sexual y mental), vidas interrumpidas y rotas, pero todavĂa de alguna manera intactas, ahora de pie en la frontera. AquĂ estas vidas esperaban, preparĂĄndose para defender su caso de asilo.
Al aconsejar a individuos y familias sobre las posibles realidades de solicitar asilo en los Estados Unidos, simplemente deseamos poder darles una buena noticia; noticias de que el dolor y el miedo habĂan terminado y que podĂan comenzar a sanar y restaurar. Y sin embargo, nuestras palabras fueron simplemente mĂĄs palabras de preparaciĂłn para las dificultades que aĂșn estaban por venir: detenciĂłn, entrevistas, separaciĂłn familiar, posible deportaciĂłn, honorarios de abogados, y mĂĄs. La tormenta no habĂa terminado. Esto podria aun continuar.
Hubo dĂas cuando este conocimiento fue paralizante. Cuando la esperanza nos evadĂa. Y, sin embargo, mantuvimos la esperanza de que nuestro consejo y aliento proporcionarĂa a estas personas y familias vulnerables el apoyo que necesitaban para atravesar la siguiente fase de la tormenta.
Nuestro tiempo en la frontera fue un claro recordatorio de que este trabajo es poderoso, humilde y, a veces, incluso sagrado. A medida que nuestro equipo regresa a los EE.UU., seguiremos siendo testigos de lo que hemos encontrado en la frontera. Le pedimos que se una a nosotros en la oraciĂłn continua por este importante trabajo y por la paz de las cientos de familias que buscan refugio en nuestra frontera.
Ted Oswald has served with World Relief since 2017 as the Immigrant Legal Services (ILS) program director and attorney where he provides immigration legal services, mobilizes volunteers, and offers community legal education seminars. A licensed attorney, Ted has a Juris Doctor from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, a Graduate Diploma in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies from the American University in Cairo, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UC Davis. He is the author of three novels, Because We Are: A Novel of Haiti, There is a Land, and Little Flower.
Kevin Woehr Kevin Woehr is a partially DOJ Accredited Representative with World Relief DuPage/Aurora and has been a member of the legal team since August of 2012. As a Senior Immigration Specialist, Kevin represents clients before the Department of Homeland Security, providing legal counsel on a wide range of administrative processes. Additionally, Kevin oversees the application process of hundreds of eligible young adults each year in the capacity of DACA program coordinator. He is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish and was born and raised in Chile.
Frontline Report: Democratic Republic of Congo
Frontline Reports is a monthly series that provides updates on the countries, contexts, and situations in which we work as they continue to evolve. The reports are written entirely by program experts and local staff on the ground.
A Complex Crisis
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Referred to affectionately as the Heart of Africa; rich in resource, culture and beauty. The nation has some of the greatest concentrations of valuable raw minerals in the world, and Eastern Congo, in particular, is fertile and ripe for agricultural development. And yet this nation and its people have been engaged in a cycle of conflict and violence which has stolen more than five million lives and kept millions more from being able to realize their full potential.
In 1994, the devastating effects of the Rwandan genocide spilled over borders into the DRC, Burundi, and Uganda. Since that time, Eastern Congo has suffered constant unrest and instability. Dozens of armed groups have operated in there, at the great expense of the local population. Cyclical conflict and political gridlock have exacerbated problems of underdevelopment in the region, and the most vulnerable still suffer from interrupted livelihoods, inadequate systems of justice and lack of physical and mental health careâparticularly for women and girl survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
The overwhelming nature of the ongoing conflict in Congo can oftentimes be discouraging, made harder by the fact that we cannot claim to have all the solutions to the complex problems facing the nation at this moment. But at World Relief, we see beyond these seemingly devastating challenges. And we have hope, because we know that the solutions to Congoâs challenges, as well as the capacities to implement them, are already inherent within the communities we serve. That is why, beyond addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable in Eastern Congo, we go a step further to work with and alongside churches and community members toward long-term sustainable change.
Sustainable Solutions
In our sexual and gender-based violence program, we not only provide immediate peer-to-peer psychosocial support and links to medical and legal services, but we also work to change community perceptions and stigmas surrounding SGBV survivors. In communities where survivors are often blamed for what happened to them, World Relief is mobilizing churches and communities to change hearts and minds and to speak out against SGBV to prevent future incidents, as well as to reintegrate survivors into their families and societies.
Similarly, our Peacebuilding work fills a crucial gap for community members seeking justice at the local level. Village Peace Committees (VPCs) do not just provide short-term solutions to disputes, but interrupt cycles of violence and revenge by focusing on reconciliation and forgiveness. Most importantly, families and community members form agreements to bury grievances, relationships are reconciled and potential tensions dissipate before they have the opportunity to spur conflict among wider groups.
In our Agricultural program, we not only equip farming households with improved seeds, tools and training to maximize yields, but we also train them on how to save seeds for future seasons and connect them to savings groups so they can save the income earned from selling their surplus produce and increase their household safety net.
In each of these solutions, World Relief comes alongside local churchesâ the widest and most influential social network in Congo. We currently work through more than 250 churches which are actively mobilizing more than 950 volunteers to reach the most vulnerable, both within and outside their congregations. It is these community members who will remainâlong outlasting World Reliefâs presence and ultimately catalyzing transformation in their communities.
Small Beginnings
These solutions, and ultimately their impact, may not grab headlines. Transformation will not be sudden. Yet at World Relief, we take heart in these small beginnings. Because we know that the Lord rejoices to see this work begin (Zechariah 4:10).
We are grateful for our partners who have had, and continue to have, the courage to embark on a journey of transformation one household, one church and one community at a time. As an old Swahili proverb reassures, âThe careful traveler goes far.â
Thank you for your continued support.
Heidi Dessecker joined World Relief in 2010 and has served in both the US and International Programs. She previously served as the Program Officer for Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan. Heidi is passionate about gender issues and reaching women in some of todayâs most complex crises.
What Does the Bible REALLY Say About Immigration?
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
August 21, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
Baltimore, Md. â Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang of World Relief just released supplemental curriculum to their new book Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate. This great new resource for Christians, called Discovering and Living Godâs Heart for Immigrants: A Guide to Welcoming the Stranger, helps unpack what it looks like to balance Biblical compassion and justice in the middle of todayâs refugee crisis. This curriculum is an invaluable, timely tool for Christians and reveals what the Bible says about caring for the âstranger.â
In todayâs emotionally-charged political climate, having a rational conversation about immigration and how the Bible addresses it can be difficult. Soerens and Yang, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization and VP of Advocacy and Policy for World Relief respectively, help churches, families and discussion groups understand and reconcile the complex topic of immigration with the Bible, putting into practice the principles they share in Welcoming the Stranger. There are numerous ways for Americans to serve their immigrant neighbors and speak out concerning immigration reform when they understand how God views the immigrant with both justice and compassion â this book enables Christians to do so.
Discovering and Living Godâs Heart for Immigrants is the perfect tool for churches and discussion groups because it makes room for Christians to have a thoughtful, respectful conversation on a confusing topic and includes practical challenges that will help them live out their faith with clarity and confidence. With Biblical support for its claims, the curriculum equips Christians to have a timely conversation and an appropriate response to Godâs call to enter into the lives of the refugees and immigrants around them.
This guide explains the complexities of policy regulation and includes firsthand stories from refugees to uncover the many misconceptions surrounding todayâs immigration debate. In a public discussion that is often heavily slanted towards either justice or compassion, its balanced response offers a much needed perspective for Christians ready to learn more about a difficult topic.
Each of the six sections includes:
- A brief video where each theme is introduced by the authors
- An overview of the sessionâs theme
- Questions to prompt discussion
- Practical prayer prompts
- A challenge to help the reader grow in their knowledge and compassion toward immigrants
What others are saying about Welcoming the Stranger:
âBiblical, urgent, readable. An excellent introduction to this complex moral issue. All thinking evangelicals should read it.â
-Ron Sider, founder and president emeritus, Evangelicals for Social Action
âA fresh, compelling call from Scripture to live out the gospel with boldness and courage in the twenty-first century. A significant pivotal guide for the church in these times.â
-Jo Anne Lyon, global ambassador for the Wesleyan Church
âItâs refreshing to read Christian authors address a global crisis in a decidedly Christlike manner. Soerens and Yang lead the reader through a logical argument for a compassionate policy shift on this volatile topic.â
-Reid Ribble, former member of Congress representing Wisconsinâs eighth congressional district
Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate is available for purchase on Amazon, Christianbook and InterVarsity Press.
Discovering and Living Godâs Heart for Immigrants: A Guide to Welcoming the Stranger is available free online at www.welcomingthestranger.com.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
World Relief Joins Evangelical Immigration Table, Evangelical Leaders, Petitioning for Restored Refugee Cap
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
August 8, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
Baltimore, Md. â August 8, 2018 â Today, World Relief signed a letter penned by the leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table urging the Trump administration to restore the refugee ceiling to 75,000. The global refugee population is over 25 million people, and the U.S. is ready and able to receive more individuals and families seeking refuges from violence and persecution in their countries of origin.
Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, commented: “The United States has for many years been a beacon of hope to persecuted people around the world. We have also been an example to many other nations who have followed our lead to welcome those persecuted for their faith. We have nearly abandoned this place of moral leadership (with admittance of persecuted Christians from particular countries down 98%). We urge our leaders to return to our national heritage of welcome to persecuted people of all faiths (or none at all). Compassion and security are not mutually exclusive.”
Sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, the letter was signed by Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Conventionâs Ethics & Religious Liberty Convention, National Association of Evangelicals president Leith Anderson, Shirley Hoogstra of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities and various other national evangelical leaders. The letter particularly highlights the effect of a dramatic reduction in refugee admissions on persecuted Christians and on other religious minorities. In the past decade, the plurality of refugees resettled to the U.S. have been Christians, many of whom have faced horrific persecution on account of their faith in countries such as Iraq, Iran and Burma. For example, compared to the first half of 2016, the number of Christian refugees admitted to the U.S. from the Middle East from January through June 2018 is down by more than 98 percent.
The Evangelical Immigration Tableâs letter, coming shortly after the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in which several of the Tableâs leaders participated, commends the administrationâs commitment to upholding religious liberty, but notes that such a commitment is inconstant with a dramatic reduction in the admission of refugees who have been persecuted by governments that have severely restricted their religious freedom.
World Relief calls on Americans of all or no faiths to raise their voices to advocate for the vulnerable in their communities and regain the American identity that embraces the stranger and protects freedom for all. Reach out to the White House at (202) 456-1111 and call your Congressman at (202) 224-3121 and tell them you believe the U.S. should be a place of welcome for those who need protection. America is ready, willing and able to welcome 75,000 refugees.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
###
World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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World Relief Expresses Concern Over Reports, Urges White House Not to Abandon Refugees
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
August 2, 2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
carl@pinkstongroup.com
703-388-6734
World Relief Expresses Concern Over Reports, Urges White House Not to Abandon Refugees
The U.S. is ready, willing and able to welcome 75,000 refugees. At this time of unprecedented refugee need, with over 25 million refugees, the U.S. should be leading and increasing, not reducing the number of refugees we welcome.
Baltimore, Md. â August 2, 2018 â Based on our Christian calling to welcome and to serve the vulnerable, World Relief strongly opposes the reduction to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program reportedly under consideration by the federal government. Some reports, including one by the New York Times, claim that the cut being considered would be to 25,000 refugees or fewer. This would be a reduction of some 40 percent from this yearâs cap of 45,000. In June, the United National High Commissioner for Refugees reported that today there are over 25.4 million refugees in the world, and over half are women and children.
Tim Breene, World Relief CEO, says, âA cap of 25,000 would represent a welcome for only one thousandth (0.1%) of those in our world needing protection. This reduction would fly in the face of the values and beliefs of America as a beacon for the world that have supported this program. It is not who we have been as a nation.â
âAcross the nation our offices are experiencing calls and requests for increased refugee resettlement,â reports Emily Gray, Sr. Vice President for U.S. Ministries at World Relief. âLocal governments, churches and communities are asking us to help more refugees come to the U.S. Local business are calling asking for workers to help fuel local economies. Homes, jobs and a new community are waiting for refugees if our government will allow them to come.â
Through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, refugees are offered protection from war and oppression. They remain the most thoroughly screened and vetted of all immigrants to the United States. In a government-sponsored study in 2017, refugees were also shown to have contributed $63 billion to the U.S. economy since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980.
âWe can and should increase, not decrease the number of refugees coming to the U.S.,â Gray added. âA strong refugee program saves lives, builds communities and helps to fuel the U.S. economy. And, when we see people facing unimaginable danger, for us as people of faith, welcoming them is the right thing to do.â
Take action today: Call President Trump and tell him you believe the U.S. should be a place of welcome for those who need protection. We are ready, willing and able to welcome 75,000 refugees.
Hereâs what you can do today:
1. Call the White House at (202) 456-1111 with the message above.
2. Call congressional representatives at (202) 224-3121 with the same message.
3. Blast social media or emails to your mailing lists asking people to raise their voices to the White House and Congress.
#Welcome75K #RefugeesWelcome #WithRefugees #WeWelcomeRefugees
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services. Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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DACA Renewal Services: Needed Relief in Uncertain Times
In July, the Immigration Legal Services (ILS) program offered DACA renewal services for the first time to over 60 individuals through volunteer-staffed workshops.
In 1998, Brandon Vega Ayala came to the U.S. at the age of two. His mother decided to flee an abusive relationship and her family saved the money to help her and her son cross the border without authorization. In doing so, Brandon became one of the so-called “DREAMers,” or undocumented youth brought into the country as young children.
In his early years in the U.S., Brandon moved often around the Sacramento area with his mother. They eventually established themselves in the Rosemont area and he attended Hiram Johnson High School. “My mom told me I had to be careful, that I didn’t have papers,” Brandon explained. He participated in numerous clubs and sports in school, but his lack of status thwarted his dreams. “I planned to join the U.S. military, but my immigration status prevented me from enlisting.”
When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was announced in 2012, Brandon was a sophomore. The new program provided protection from deportation and a work permit that was renewable every two years. He filed for DACA and has renewed it ever since.
Today, Brandon lives a full life, in part owing to his DACA protections. Last December, he married Paulina, a friend from high school. He works 50 hours a week at a grocery store while taking college classes on the side to complete programs in business management and electrical engineering.
Last September, President Trump ended the DACA program and observers hoped the action would spur a permanent legislative solution for DREAMers, but a new law has not materialized. While several federal judges ordered that the program remain open for renewal applications, it was expected another conflicting judicial decision in August 2018 might lead to the DACA program’s permanent termination. Advocates recommended DACA-holders renew while it was still possible.
Brandon wanted to renew and had friends who had been going to private attorneys and paying over $1,500 to file renewal applications, an amount he couldn’t easily spare. His wife researched resources to renew and found a listing for World Relief Sacramento’s first free DACA renewal workshop.
“The ILS program has moved into a new direction with these workshops to help meet the tremendous need in the community,” shared Ted Oswald, the ILS manager at World Relief Sacramento. Thanks to a California state grant, the ILS program covers the $495 application fee for income-eligible individuals like Brandon, and prepares, reviews, packages, and submits applications, all for completely free. The workshops have been a success. “Over just three evenings, our small ILS team’s efforts have been multiplied by 10 amazing volunteers to serve over 60 DACA-recipients.”
Brandon attended the inaugural workshop with his wife and expressed his gratitude to the ILS team by email afterward. “The workshop touched my wife and I with your team’s kindness and dedication in helping me,” Brandon wrote. “Considering the political backlashes we receive daily, this has brought hope and “relief” into our lives.”
Our Fight to End Human Trafficking
Five years ago, UN member states came together to designate July 30th as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in an effort to âraise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and promote and protect their rights.â[1] As we acknowledge this day at World Relief, we encourage you to read on to learn more about our work to combat Human Trafficking.
Human Trafficking Around The World
Human trafficking is defined as âthe illegal trading, selling, and exploitation of people to use them for labor or sex. It is a process by which a personâs freedom is taken away, [and they] become enslaved by others.â[2] The International Labour Organization estimates that over 21 million people today are victims of forced labor and sex trafficking globally. Children make up almost a third of this devastating number, and women and girls account for 71% of all victims. [3]
While human trafficking and slavery are not new issues, a new law was passed by Congress in October of 2000, Â that authorizes protections for individuals who are victims of severe forms of trafficking. With passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), it became clear this was an issue that demanded World Reliefâs involvement. Fraud and exploitation were being used to control and enslave millions of people around the world – even right here in the United States. These trafficked victims were undoubtedly some of the most vulnerable around the world. And so, World Relief began exploring efforts to fight this horrific injustice.
In November 2003, World Relief met with a group of like-minded organizations to determine if and how we  could collaborate. It was out of these meetings that the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking was born.
The Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking
FAAST is a strategic alliance of Christian organizations working together to combat slavery and human trafficking. Our mission is to mobilize and equip communities to combat slavery and human trafficking and to restore survivors.[4] We do this because we believe that:
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Every human being is created in the image of God with inherent dignity, value and purpose.
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As followers of Jesus, we have a biblical mandate to care for the poor and the oppressed â those who are vulnerable and exploited.
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Slavery and human trafficking are forms of evil that seek to destroy Godâs image in people and corrupt His purposes for humanity.
FAAST provides a framework for collaboration between Christian churches, denominations, universities and communities around the world who are rising up to confront human trafficking. We connect Godâs people through the power of partnership and equip them through the creation of resources, facilitation of training events and development of anti-trafficking programs. Since its inception, FAAST has written the most widely used curriculum for the restoration of survivors of trafficking, held more than 120 trauma-informed trainings, hosted live-streamed nationwide prayer events and provided resources to thousands of practitioners and churches.
FAAST exists today because eradicating human trafficking reflects the heart of God. We believe there is hope, and we believe that the best agency of change and restoration is Godâs people, the Church.[5] At World Relief, our impact has been multiplied as our resources and efforts are combined with fellow FAAST members to form large-scale anti-trafficking projects. Â None of this would be possible through our individual efforts; it is only through working together, as the entire body of Christ, that we can fight this grave injustice and achieve impact.
Today, World Relief and FAAST are equipping Christ-followers around the globe to restore freedom to those held captive in exploitation and slavery. Our vision is to see a world of transformed communities, free of slavery and exploitation.
Support Us
If youâd like to support this work on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, weâre excited to announce our partnership with apparel brand, Sevenly. During the month of July, each purchase made will provide funding for anti-human trafficking services and education through World Relief.
You can also learn more about our work with FAAST at www.FAASTinternational.org
[1]Â UN Resolution A/RES/68/192
[2]Â UN.org
[3]Â United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
[4]Â FAAST
[5]Â FAAST
Ruth Famini is the Director of National Resettlement Programs at World Reliefâs home office in Baltimore, Maryland. She has been with World Relief for twenty-one years, and is responsible for overseeing the organizationâs refugee resettlement work. She is also passionate about anti-human trafficking, and represents World Relief at the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST). Mrs. Famini holds a Bachelorâs degree from Nyack College. She and her husband, John, have four grown children, six grandchildren, and three cats.
Mandy Porter-Griffith, the Coordinator for FAAST, has a Master of Arts in Missional Leadership from Northwest University, is a Pastor through the Assemblies of God and a Chaplain at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Chesapeake Federal Detention Center. Mandy specializes in training trauma informed care. She believes in equipping the local church, to be not just aware of human trafficking but proactive in facilitating both prevention and aftercare in their own communities. In 2013 she received her certification as a facilitator of the Hands that Heal: International Curriculum for Caregivers of Sex Trafficking Survivors.
The Baby in the Manger and at the Border: What Paula White Gets Wrong
My pre-school-aged daughter made a compelling observation as she played with our nativity set a few years ago, rehearsing the Christmas story as it appears in her childrenâs storybook Bible. âDad,â she observed, her eyes fixed on the collection of wooden shepherds, animals, âwise men,â and the holy family of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, âWeâre missing a figurine. We donât have the âmean king.ââ
Few peopleâeven those who, like our family, try to keep Jesus at the center of our Christmas celebrationsâspend much time reflecting on the most troubling part of the biblical narrative of Christâs birth. Iâve not yet encountered a crĂšche that included a King Herod figurine. We tend to conclude our Christmas pageants with the three Magi bowing down before Jesus. The curtain comes down, and we all go home to open gifts and enjoy a meal.
But thatâs not the end of the story. According to the Gospel of Matthew, as soon as the Magi leave to return to their country, Joseph is warned in a dream that the tyrannical King Herod would shortly begin a genocide of little boys in Bethlehem. Joseph got up in the middle of the night and escaped to Egypt with Mary and the newborn Jesus, out of Herodâs reach.
While mystical stars, shepherds and angels have little to do with our day-to-day lives, this part of the story is painfully pertinent to our headlines today. Jesus was a child refugee, part of a family that fled a credible fear of persecution by seeking asylum in a foreign land. As children and their parents have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months with similar stories, many fleeing gang violence in Central America, how could followers of Jesus not respond with compassion?
According to Paula White, our response should be to double down on tough immigration policies. Why? Because, according to her, Jesusâ situation was fundamentally different than families arriving at the border today.
âHe did live in Egypt⊠but it was not illegal,â said White to CBN.
And then, much to the chagrin of many theologians, she went further: âIf he had broke the law then he would have been sinful and he would not have been our Messiah.”
Itâs a tidy argumentâbut it just doesnât work with the rest of the biblical witness. Various biblical examples of civil disobedience quickly make any such claim untenable. The Hebrew midwives are praised for defying the murderous decree of Pharaoh, who like Herod, ordered that Israelite infants be slaughtered. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to worship an idol. The Apostle Paul, whose instruction to âbe subject to the governing authoritiesâ is sometimes cited as a basis for total obedience to civil laws, spent time in jail, having violated unjust laws. The Apostle Peter, when charged to stop preaching the gospel, insisted that âwe must obey God rather than human beingsââan attitude that led to his incarceration and martyrdom.
Most importantly, though, Jesus himself was repeatedly criticized for lawlessness. On one occasion, he healed a man born with a shriveled hand, infuriating the Jewish religious leaders who saw this as defying the Ten Commandments by breaking the Sabbath. It is one of few incidents in the gospels when Jesus is described as becoming angry, distressed by these leadersâ hardheartedness, putting their interpretation of the law ahead of compassion for the human suffering in front of them.
When Jesus later acknowledged that he was king (albeit, of a kingdom ânot of this worldâ), he was challenging Roman law, which acknowledged no ultimate authority but Caesar. Christ was condemned by the state as a criminal and executedâbut this act of love and compassion was certainly not a sin. It was the sacrifice that Christians believe saved us from our sins and what compels us to extend grace to others.
For those who follow Jesus today, we can insist that our government respond to the plight of vulnerable people in ways that both extend compassion and honor the law. And as a matter of fact, a U.S.-ratified treaty does allow those with a credible fear of persecution to request asylum at the border, even if they âenter or are present⊠without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.â
Of course, not all will qualify. Some, even those with heartbreaking stories, may not meet the precise definition of a refugee under U.S. law. But we can still treat all with dignity, not separating families, norâexcept in the rare case that there is a compelling reason to believe they could pose a public safety riskâdetaining them. Churches, non-profit organizations and the extended families of these asylum-seekers are eager to help support them while they wait for their day in court. Whatâs more, such alternatives have been proven effectiveânot to mention significantly more affordableâin ensuring people show up for their hearings as required.
I donât know whether Jesusâ flight to Egypt was lawful or not. But I know that if my daughterâs life was at riskâwhether from a âmean kingâ or MS-13âIâd flee. Her life is far more precious than my respect for man-made laws. And Iâd pray, when I reached the other side of the border, to be met by compassion.
Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief and is the coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2018). Follow Matthew on Twitter.
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