Press Statement
World Relief Affirms New Biden Administration Proposal Expanding Legal Pathways for Those Fleeing Hardship, Decries New Asylum Restrictions
January 5, 2022
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE — Today, President Biden announced a series of new immigration policies seeking to address the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration plans to significantly expand parole programs for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — allowing individuals with U.S.-based sponsors to lawfully enter the U.S. and be authorized to work upon arrival — while creating new restrictions for individuals from these and other countries who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and wish to seek asylum. To do so, the Biden administration is relying upon the legal authority of Title 42, a public health law whose use the administration has previously said is no longer justified, but which the U.S. Supreme Court has kept in effect with a temporary hold issued last month. Under the Title 42 policy, individuals are expelled to Mexico without the ability to seek asylum under the terms of longstanding U.S. immigration law. The administration also announced expansion of refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere and additional new proposed restrictions on asylum eligibility.
World Relief welcomes the expansion of lawful mechanisms for entry for individuals from these countries and is eager to partner with local churches to facilitate their integration, but opposes new proposals that would deny due process to those seeking refuge in the United States along the border.
“We strongly denounce any policies imposed by any administration that prohibit, deter, or limit individuals from seeking refuge in the U.S. as allowed by U.S. law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Those fleeing their countries due to conflict, violence or fear not only have the right to seek safety and protection but to plead their case to determine if they qualify to stay in our country lawfully.”
World Relief has persistently advocated for the reversal of the previous administration’s harmful, illegal, and ineffective anti-asylum policies and now calls on President Biden to fulfill his promise to “secure our border, while ensuring the dignity of migrants and upholding their legal right to seek asylum.”
“We certainly acknowledge that not every individual who arrives at the border will qualify to be granted asylum under U.S. law, but we must respect our nation’s moral and legal obligations to ensure due process for those seeking protection from persecution,” said Jenny Yang, vice president for advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We are encouraged by the expansion of legal avenues for those who have fled countries where people are enduring incredible hardship. However, such processes should not be paired with new restrictions on asylum for those with no other avenue for protection under current U.S. law but for reaching the U.S. border to seek asylum. We urge President Biden to work with Congress to develop a pathway forward that both protects our nation’s borders and respects the dignity and value of all human life, especially those who are vulnerable.”
To learn more about World Relief Chicagoland, visit worldrelief.org/chicagoland.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief Affirms New Biden Administration Proposal Expanding Legal Pathways for Those Fleeing Hardship, Decries New Asylum Restrictions
January 5, 2022
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE — Today, President Biden announced a series of new immigration policies seeking to address the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration plans to significantly expand parole programs for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — allowing individuals with U.S.-based sponsors to lawfully enter the U.S. and be authorized to work upon arrival — while creating new restrictions for individuals from these and other countries who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and wish to seek asylum. To do so, the Biden administration is relying upon the legal authority of Title 42, a public health law whose use the administration has previously said is no longer justified, but which the U.S. Supreme Court has kept in effect with a temporary hold issued last month. Under the Title 42 policy, individuals are expelled to Mexico without the ability to seek asylum under the terms of longstanding U.S. immigration law. The administration also announced expansion of refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere and additional new proposed restrictions on asylum eligibility.
World Relief welcomes the expansion of lawful mechanisms for entry for individuals from these countries and is eager to partner with local churches to facilitate their integration, but opposes new proposals that would deny due process to those seeking refuge in the United States along the border.
“We strongly denounce any policies imposed by any administration that prohibit, deter, or limit individuals from seeking refuge in the U.S. as allowed by U.S. law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Those fleeing their countries due to conflict, violence or fear not only have the right to seek safety and protection but to plead their case to determine if they qualify to stay in our country lawfully.”
World Relief has persistently advocated for the reversal of the previous administration’s harmful, illegal, and ineffective anti-asylum policies and now calls on President Biden to fulfill his promise to “secure our border, while ensuring the dignity of migrants and upholding their legal right to seek asylum.”
“We certainly acknowledge that not every individual who arrives at the border will qualify to be granted asylum under U.S. law, but we must respect our nation’s moral and legal obligations to ensure due process for those seeking protection from persecution,” said Jenny Yang, vice president for advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We are encouraged by the expansion of legal avenues for those who have fled countries where people are enduring incredible hardship. However, such processes should not be paired with new restrictions on asylum for those with no other avenue for protection under current U.S. law but for reaching the U.S. border to seek asylum. We urge President Biden to work with Congress to develop a pathway forward that both protects our nation’s borders and respects the dignity and value of all human life, especially those who are vulnerable.”
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief Affirms New Biden Administration Proposal Expanding Legal Pathways for Those Fleeing Hardship, Decries New Asylum Restrictions
January 5, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE — Today, President Biden announced a series of new immigration policies seeking to address the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration plans to significantly expand parole programs for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — allowing individuals with U.S.-based sponsors to lawfully enter the U.S. and be authorized to work upon arrival — while creating new restrictions for individuals from these and other countries who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and wish to seek asylum. To do so, the Biden administration is relying upon the legal authority of Title 42, a public health law whose use the administration has previously said is no longer justified, but which the U.S. Supreme Court has kept in effect with a temporary hold issued last month. Under the Title 42 policy, individuals are expelled to Mexico without the ability to seek asylum under the terms of longstanding U.S. immigration law. The administration also announced expansion of refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere and additional new proposed restrictions on asylum eligibility.
World Relief welcomes the expansion of lawful mechanisms for entry for individuals from these countries and is eager to partner with local churches to facilitate their integration, but opposes new proposals that would deny due process to those seeking refuge in the United States along the border.
“We strongly denounce any policies imposed by any administration that prohibit, deter, or limit individuals from seeking refuge in the U.S. as allowed by U.S. law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Those fleeing their countries due to conflict, violence or fear not only have the right to seek safety and protection but to plead their case to determine if they qualify to stay in our country lawfully.”
World Relief has persistently advocated for the reversal of the previous administration’s harmful, illegal, and ineffective anti-asylum policies and now calls on President Biden to fulfill his promise to “secure our border, while ensuring the dignity of migrants and upholding their legal right to seek asylum.”
“We certainly acknowledge that not every individual who arrives at the border will qualify to be granted asylum under U.S. law, but we must respect our nation’s moral and legal obligations to ensure due process for those seeking protection from persecution,” said Jenny Yang, vice president for advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We are encouraged by the expansion of legal avenues for those who have fled countries where people are enduring incredible hardship. However, such processes should not be paired with new restrictions on asylum for those with no other avenue for protection under current U.S. law but for reaching the U.S. border to seek asylum. We urge President Biden to work with Congress to develop a pathway forward that both protects our nation’s borders and respects the dignity and value of all human life, especially those who are vulnerable.”
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief Quad Cities Announces Partnership With Quad City Symphony Orchestra to Celebrate Music Across Cultures
11/18/2022
CONTACT:
Baylee Lakey
baylee.lakey@pinkston.co
580-374-1734
QUAD CITIES (November 18, 2022) – World Relief Quad Cities (WRQC) announced today its partnership with Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) to present the musical programming series Masterworks III: Ode to Guitar on December 3, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. and December 4 at 2:00 p.m. at the Adler Theater.
Through the partnership, WRQC and QCSO aim to bring people together around the power of music, while giving back to refugees in the process by donating 50% of ticket proceeds to support immigrants and refugees in the local community.
“At a time when our communities are in need of connection, this program will bring people together to celebrate music across cultures,” said World Relief Quad Cities Executive Director Laura Fontaine. “World Relief Quad Cities is thrilled to join the Quad City Symphony Orchestra in telling the story and recognizing the critical contribution of immigrants and refugees in our society. We are thankful to QCSO for their support in giving back to our immigrant and refugee communities in the region.”
The program will feature acclaimed guitarist Mak Grgić and composer Michael Abels, along with narrator and local TV anchor Jim Niedelman. In the concert, Grgić is joining the QCSO to premiere a QCSO co-commissioned Guitar Concerto “Borders” composed by Abels.
“This piece is inspired by the museum exhibit ‘Sahara: Acts of Memory’ by Amir Berbic depicting life in camp ‘Sahara’ that was created in Denmark for housing refugees of the Bosnian War in the 1990s,” said Composer Michael Abels. “Among the refugees were graphic artist Ismet Berbic and his family. The exhibit details the Berbics’ struggle to preserve individuality, family and cultural identity in the face of losing country and community. Guitarist Mak Grgic is a friend of the Berbics, and experienced the Balkan war firsthand as a child. In the first movement of this concerto, the guitar is a protagonist that is repeatedly confined by sonic bars or walls created by the orchestra. The second movement depicts a child running, sometimes joyfully, but also sometimes in fear.”
“When Michael and I first started talking about the narrative of the new guitar concerto, we couldn’t help but notice that we both came from turbulent backgrounds and that music had provided a safe haven for us,” said featured Guitarist Mak Grgić, an immigrant himself. “It was a sheer coincidence that around the same time, my friend Amir Berbic had an exhibit in Pomona, California, about his family’s experience as refugees during the Balkan War in the 1990s. We visited Amir’s exhibit Sahara: Acts of Memory together, and it touched us both deeply, providing further inspiration for Michael’s writing of the concerto, which took on the title ‘Borders’. I am beyond thrilled that we chose to present music as something that supersedes life’s obstacles, and that the Berbic family’s story of persistence and perseverance has been told so well.”
Tickets to the performance are on sale now and can be purchased on the QCSO event page. To give back to World Relief Quad Cities with your ticket purchase, the code WRQC can be entered on the discount code page of the check-out process.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
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World Relief Quad Cities Awarded Grant to Launch Refugee Career Pathways Program
10/13/2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
Quad Cities, October 13, 2022 – This month, World Relief Quad Cities (WRQC), the only resettlement organization serving Afghan entrants in Western Illinois, was awarded a grant of $725,000 from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to launch a Refugee Career Pathways Program (RCP) aimed at helping Afghan entrants overcome the unique challenges that prevent them from using their professional experience.
“This is the first individual federal grant our local office has ever received,” said World Relief Quad Cities Executive Director Laura Fontaine. “It’s a major accomplishment, and it truly represents our passion and the high caliber of work our WRQC team puts into everything they do for our families. Our Afghan clients have the skills and training our workforce needs. This grant will allow them to pursue new careers or continue their careers, not just for their own benefit but for the benefit of the community. I thank everyone who supported the application and the work we do throughout our community to resettle refugees. We are so honored.”
The RCP program will provide culturally sensitive and individualized case management to equip Afghan entrants with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, including career advancement opportunities such as professional certification and technical education. WRQC will also coordinate with its staff members, several of whom are from Afghanistan, to ensure that the program is accommodating of the specific cultural needs of Afghans who resettle in the United States, including Afghan women with career aspirations.
“Career Pathways programming has been something our office has been dreaming of for years now. We have been really successful at getting new refugees employed quickly, but not necessarily into jobs they love, or even like,” said Employment Services Director Grace Fitzpatrick. “To have funding, resources, and time to develop a program that will support Afghans to grow into higher paying, more fulfilling jobs is really exciting. The Afghan community is new in our area, but when they do begin to get into career fields that are meaningful to them, I think we will see more community participation, and the whole QC area will be better for it.”
“To pour hours into building a set of skills, then having to push them to the side for survival – I can only imagine the frustration,” said Grant Writing and Communications Manager Erica Parrigin. “This program is going to enable people to return to their livelihoods, use their skills, use their degrees. People always ask me why I wanted to go into grant writing, and this is it.”
To be listed as a mentor for RCP clients, please contact Beth Conner at econner@wr.org. WRQC is currently hiring for a Career Pathways Coordinator and Education Specialist. Open positions will be posted at https://worldrelief.org/quad-cities/get-involved/open-positions/. Employers and educational institutions interested in partnering with WRQC may contact Grace Fitzpatrick at gfitzpatrick@wr.org.
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
World Relief Urges Congress to Protect Dreamers After Appeals Court Decision Leaves Future of DACA Program In Doubt
October 5, 2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
BALTIMORE — Today, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a lower court’s earlier decision that the Obama administration created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) illegally. The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court to reconsider in light of new rules announced by the Biden administration. World Relief laments the ongoing uncertainty that this decision creates for DACA beneficiaries and urges Congress to act immediately.
“This is devastating news for Dreamers and underscores the urgent need for Congressional action,” said World Relief U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy Matthew Soerens. “Although today’s ruling provides the court system another opportunity to consider the legality of DACA, the program is still in serious legal jeopardy, and for the sake of both its beneficiaries and for our economy and society as a whole, we’re urging Congress to act quickly and proactively to protect Dreamers. As an organization guided by biblical principles, World Relief has long advocated for passage of bipartisan legislation such as the Dream Act, which would allow these long-term residents of our communities who arrived as children the opportunity to pursue citizenship in the country they consider their home.”
The Biden administration recently finalized a rule to codify DACA into federal regulation, which is set to take effect on October 31. In its decision to remand the case, the appeals court determined that it did not have enough information to rule on the case in consideration of the new regulation.
Importantly, today’s ruling continues to block new DACA applications despite allowing the estimated 600,000 current recipients to maintain their status. World Relief expresses great concern about this decision, signaling that many young people who meet the requirements for DACA will continue to be denied an opportunity to apply for legal protections and employment authorization. Working through its network of local offices and church partners recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide authorized, affordable immigration legal services, we will continue to assist eligible individuals to renew their DACA for as long as the courts allow them to do so.
“Today’s decision is devastating, but it’s not surprising,” said World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene. “We’ve known for many months that this decision was likely, and nothing about today’s decision changes the reality that the fate of the DACA program is likely to eventually end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court — which, based on past precedent, is quite likely to rule against DACA, throwing hundreds of thousands of lives into chaos. The best solution is for Congress to act on a bipartisan basis, as super-majorities of Americans want them to do, to resolve this situation now, making these court decisions moot.”
To learn more about World Relief visit: www.worldrelief.org
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
World Relief Praises New Refugee Ceiling, Urges Biden Administration and Congress to Work Together to Aid Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Yesterday, the Biden administration set the annual refugee ceiling to allow up to 125,000 refugees into the United States for fiscal year 2023. World Relief affirms this decision, which comes at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented refugee crisis, but urges the Biden administration and Congress to do more to strengthen the U.S. refugee and asylum programs in order to aid individuals and families seeking protection from persecution.
“The 125,000 ceiling for fiscal year 2023 is a welcome goal,” said World Relief U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy Matthew Soerens. “However, it’s also the same goal that the U.S. has fallen short of by roughly 100,000 refugees in the fiscal year that is ending this week, which demonstrates that setting a relatively high refugee ceiling is not sufficient. The administration and Congress must work together to commit more resources and enact reforms to our refugee resettlement program to ensure we can actually reach the goal of resettling 125,000 refugees while fully supporting refugee integration when they arrive in the United States.”
The U.S. refugee resettlement program has been a vital tool in protecting those facing violence and persecution. In the past year, the U.S. has offered protection to tens of thousands of individuals from countries including Afghanistan and Ukraine; however, the majority of these individuals were not formally admitted as refugees, which has meant they face an uncertain future and a lack of access to permanent legal status. The Biden administration and Congress must strengthen and rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program to continue to aid Afghans and Ukrainians, to offer resettlement to those who have fled protracted refugee situations many years or even decades ago and to be able to nimbly respond to emerging refugee crises.
U.S. law also rightly offers protection for those seeking refuge at U.S. borders through our asylum process. World Relief urges the Biden administration to ensure due process for asylum seekers who reach the U.S., while also encouraging the administration to rebuild the refugee resettlement program so as to allow more individuals to access safety in the U.S. without the need of a dangerous journey to the U.S. border.
“At a moment when there are more refugees globally than at any time in recorded history, we need ongoing leadership from the U.S. government to rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program,” said World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene. “In partnership with hundreds of local churches, World Relief is eager and ready to welcome more refugees and ensure they have the support that they need to integrate into new communities and thrive.”
A recent Lifeway Research poll found that 70% of American evangelicals believe the U.S. has a moral obligation to receive refugees.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
To learn more about World Relief Chicagoland visit: www.worldrelief.org/chicagoland
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
September 28, 2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
World Relief Praises New Refugee Ceiling, Urges Biden Administration and Congress to Work Together to Aid Refugees and Asylum Seekers
September 28, 2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
Yesterday, the Biden administration set the annual refugee ceiling to allow up to 125,000 refugees into the United States for fiscal year 2023. World Relief affirms this decision, which comes at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented refugee crisis, but urges the Biden administration and Congress to do more to strengthen the U.S. refugee and asylum programs in order to aid individuals and families seeking protection from persecution.
“The 125,000 ceiling for fiscal year 2023 is a welcome goal,” said World Relief U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy Matthew Soerens. “However, it’s also the same goal that the U.S. has fallen short of by roughly 100,000 refugees in the fiscal year that is ending this week, which demonstrates that setting a relatively high refugee ceiling is not sufficient. The administration and Congress must work together to commit more resources and enact reforms to our refugee resettlement program to ensure we can actually reach the goal of resettling 125,000 refugees while fully supporting refugee integration when they arrive in the United States.”
The U.S. refugee resettlement program has been a vital tool in protecting those facing violence and persecution. In the past year, the U.S. has offered protection to tens of thousands of individuals from countries including Afghanistan and Ukraine; however, the majority of these individuals were not formally admitted as refugees, which has meant they face an uncertain future and a lack of access to permanent legal status. The Biden administration and Congress must strengthen and rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program to continue to aid Afghans and Ukrainians, to offer resettlement to those who have fled protracted refugee situations many years or even decades ago and to be able to nimbly respond to emerging refugee crises.
U.S. law also rightly offers protection for those seeking refuge at U.S. borders through our asylum process. World Relief urges the Biden administration to ensure due process for asylum seekers who reach the U.S., while also encouraging the administration to rebuild the refugee resettlement program so as to allow more individuals to access safety in the U.S. without the need of a dangerous journey to the U.S. border.
“At a moment when there are more refugees globally than at any time in recorded history, we need ongoing leadership from the U.S. government to rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program,” said World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene. “In partnership with hundreds of local churches, World Relief is eager and ready to welcome more refugees and ensure they have the support that they need to integrate into new communities and thrive.”
A recent Lifeway Research poll found that 70% of American evangelicals believe the U.S. has a moral obligation to receive refugees.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
To learn more about World Relief visit: www.worldrelief.org
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
New Lifeway Research Study Reveals Widespread Evangelical Support for Immigration Reform
September 27, 2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
BALTIMORE — Today, Lifeway Research released a new study revealing that in almost every area, American evangelicals’ views have come closer to the positions of World Relief and its Evangelical Immigration Table partners on immigration policy. When compared to a similar study conducted in 2015, the results show significant improvements in terms of the number of evangelicals who cite their faith as a significant factor in their views. The study, which is sponsored by World Relief and the Evangelical Immigration Table, pulls from an online survey of 1,007 Americans.
“This study underscores what World Relief offices around the country have found in their interactions with the thousands of local churches and tens of thousands of volunteers: Large majorities of evangelical Christians recognize that their faith compels them to care sacrificially for refugees and other immigrants, and they want to see governmental policies that reflect those concerns as well,” said World Relief president and CEO Myal Greene.
When asked to characterize their perspectives, the top three responses selected by evangelicals were to view the arrival of immigrants to their communities as “an opportunity to show them love,” “an opportunity to introduce them to Jesus Christ,” and “an improvement to America’s cultural diversity.” By comparison, in 2015, the top response was to describe the arrival of immigrants as “a drain on economic resources.” The share of evangelicals who selected that response has dropped by double digits since 2015, the study finds.
The study also found that at least 78% of evangelicals support legislation guided by each of six principles that have guided the Evangelical Immigration Table’s advocacy for more than a decade, including protecting the unity of the immediate family, ensuring secure national borders and establishing a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally who meet certain requirements. Moreover, 70 percent now affirm that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to refugees and 69 percent also believe that Christians have a moral responsibility to care sacrificially for refugees and other foreigners. 64 percent of self-identified evangelicals now say they are very familiar with what the Bible has to say about how immigrants should be treated, compared to 53 percent in 2015.
“This encouraging research confirms overwhelmingly that evangelicals have a significant interest in protecting the dignity and well-being of refugees and other immigrants, with particularly high levels of support from those between the ages of 18 and 24,” said Shirley Hoogstra, president of Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. “As Christians who believe a biblical worldview should undergird how we approach any complex policy issue, we were pleased to see a significant increase in the share of self-identified evangelicals who cite the Bible as the primary influence on their views on immigration. We hope our work with others at the Evangelical Immigration Table will continue to help Christians think biblically about these immigration issues and, more importantly, about immigrants themselves as people made in God’s image.”
The results of the study make it clear that evangelicals are eager to see reforms to immigration laws. Four out of five evangelicals said they would support Republicans and Democrats working together on a combination of reforms to strengthen border security, create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and provide a reliable number of screened, legal farmworkers. 65 percent said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported these positions, while only 7 percent of evangelicals said that support for these positions would make them less likely to vote for a candidate. Furthermore, 71 percent of evangelicals said it is important or very important that Congress passes new immigration legislation in 2022.
“I’m encouraged by this evidence that more evangelical Christians are hearing biblical messages on immigration, and that support for the biblically-rooted policies that we have long advocated continues to grow,” said Reverend Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. “Fully 85 percent of Latino evangelicals and 78 percent of evangelicals overall support reforms that would combine an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants with improvements to border security. Congress should listen – and act now.”
To view the full Lifeway dataset visit: https://research.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Evangelical-Views-on-Immigration-2022.pdf.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
About the Evangelical Immigration Table
The Evangelical Immigration Table is a broad coalition of evangelical organizations and leaders advocating for immigration reform consistent with biblical values.
World Relief Praises Bipartisan Introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act in Congress, Urges Swift Congressional Passage and Support by the President
August 9, 2022
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
BALTIMORE — Today, World Relief praises the bipartisan introduction of an Afghan Adjustment Act in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House and urges swift congressional passage of the bill.
Over 70,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. in the weeks following the fall of Kabul one year ago this month. The need to continue to support their full integration is not finished, as most remain in legal limbo, with parole and work authorization that bear an expiration date. These individuals include translators who helped U.S. troops, women’s rights activists, religious minorities and others who were fleeing violence and persecution and were resettled in communities across the United States.
The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans with parole to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status without needing to rely upon woefully backlogged legal processes to apply for asylum or Special Immigrant Visas.
“Over the past year, World Relief has had the privilege of resettling approximately 4,000 Afghans who fled Taliban persecution and have been welcomed by communities throughout the United States,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “During the same time period, we’ve welcomed roughly 3,000 refugees from other countries of origin – but whereas those formally resettled as refugees are able to apply for permanent resident status one year after arrival, the overwhelming majority of these Afghans lack the certainty that they need to fully thrive in their new home.”
“Americans have shown unprecedented hospitality in welcoming thousands of new Afghan neighbors,” Greene continued. “Swiftly passing the Afghan Adjustment Act will help ensure we treat Afghans as well as we treat other refugees. We urge Congress to act immediately to pass it into law and listen to the voices of people who have helped to welcome new Afghan neighbors, including thousands of local churches that have stepped up to build communities of love and welcome to receive them.”
“We’re thankful to the strong group of Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives who have jointly introduced this bill, demonstrating that Congress can still work together on a bipartisan basis to find common sense solutions to policy challenges,” added Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy. “We’re praying for swift passage in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and then that President Biden will immediately sign the Afghan Adjustment Act into law.”
To learn more about how you can advocate, visit: https://worldrelief.org/advocate/.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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