We are witnessing the rewriting of half a century of immigration law — through actions that are legally suspect.
Late last night, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) submitted a memo for court proceedings that formalized and expanded attacks on refugees’ protections.
This new guidance:
- Voids previous interpretations of refugee law
- Allows U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take into physical custody any refugee who has not acquired a green card year after arrival – despite the halt USCIS put on green card processing last year
- Expands the interpretation of “inspection” to reopen an individual’s refugee status without reasonable cause
- Initiates removals for refugees whom these administrative staffers determine not to qualify
This places extrajudicial authority in the hands of staff who may be poorly equipped or bent on pursuing political ends. It basically strips refugees of a fair opportunity to make their case.
We condemn these measures and call for the swift reinstatement of full protections for thoroughly vetted refugees.
Will you stand with refugees?
Click on the link in bio to sign a statement urging the administration to restore protections, stop re-interviews and strengthen refugee pathways.
Refugee families who fled war and persecution followed every rule. Now they’ve been detained without charges, without warning and without access to their families or lawyers.
As part of Operation PARRIS, ICE agents, some in plain clothes, showed up at refugees’ homes and in public spaces in Minnesota, deceiving them with false claims of legal noncompliance and
detaining them without charges and threatening deportation.
This is not security. This is collective punishment.
As ICE rounds up lawfully present refugees, the church must not stay silent.
Don’t let fear tear refugee families apart.
Safety means staying together.
Give today at the link in bio.
Faith that follows Jesus refuses fear-based narratives.
Across the U.S., thousands of Christians have welcomed refugees into their homes and churches. Yet right now, refugee policy and recent ICE enforcement like Operation PARRIS in Minneapolis are tearing lives apart and deepening a sense of fear.
- Lawfully admitted refugee families in the process of waiting for green cards are being detained
- Entire communities are being judged by nationality, not need
- And persecuted Christians are being left in danger as the lowest refugee ceiling in U.S. history shuts off pathways to safety.
This isn’t just bad policy. It’s collective punishment.
As followers of Jesus, let our faith shine brighter than the surrounding fear.
Help us deliver 10,000 signatures to Congress to help put an end to these unjust policies. We’re half way there!
📣 Sign the letter at worldrelief.org/advocate, linked in our bio.
Despite fleeing war, conflict and violence, refugees and others who are displaced still believe something better is possible. They believe in more. And at World Relief, we believe in more too. More hope. More compassion. More flourishing for all people.
If you’re a pastor or church leader, our latest church toolkit has adaptable resources to help you lead your congregation in prayer and action for World Refugee Day this June.
What’s included in the World Refugee Day Church Toolkit?
🙏 A simple 15-minute prayer and action activity with refugee stories, talking points, slides and a printable prayer card.
🔎 For congregations looking to go deeper, explore the extra resources — like conversation cards, video courses, refugee simulation activities and more.
Access your free church toolkit today to make an impact this World Refugee Day — to believe in more, together:
🔗 link in bio
Stigma around accessing mental healthcare exists in every community — but among refugees, many of whom have experienced trauma and extended periods of immense stress. A lack of culturally appropriate resources can make accessing mental health care nearly impossible.
Habie Timbo, Mental Health Provider & Wellness Manager at World Relief Quad Cities, shared how we can all contribute to reducing mental health stigma for refugees rebuilding their lives in the U.S.
Visit the link to learn more about how we're addressing these needs among our refugee neighbors — 🔗 link in bio
History is being written — right here, right now. And we all have a choice. Will you choose to stand with refugees and other immigrants in this crucial moment?
To help you take a stand, we’ve created a brand new solidarity guide. In “Refugee Solidarity: A Guide to Believing in More,” you’ll find:
- Refugee stories and vital information on refugee policy
- Prayers for refugees and displaced people around the world
- Recipes from refugees to help you practice globally-inspired hospitality
- Advocacy tips and opportunities to speak out on behalf of your neighbors
Your voice and your presence matter. Take a step forward in solidarity today. Get the free guide at the link in bio!
Encouraging momentum we can celebrate: Senators from both parties are urging the State Department to restore Gavi funding – support that has helped vaccinate over 1 billion children worldwide.
We believe every child is made in God’s image, and deserves the chance to grow up healthy. When we protect children from preventable disease, we strengthen communities and help stop outbreaks before they spread.
✅ Take 30 seconds: use our advocacy tool (link in bio) to THANK leaders for coming together—and urge swift follow-through so the funding Congress already appropriated is used as intended.
Meet Phania: an 18 year old living in southeast Haiti who is discovering new possibilities through agriculture. As the oldest of six children, she carried big hopes —- and the weight of limited opportunities. Before joining World Relief’s agriculture programming, Phania had the passion for farming, but like many young people, she faced limited access to the training and resources to get started.
Today, that’s changing. Through locally led training in good agricultural practices and entrepreneurship — alongside access to seeds, tools and mentorship — Phania is building the skills to grow more, earn income and strengthen her family’s stability.
We’re grateful to partner with Tearfund Netherlands in supporting Haitian youth as they cultivate lasting pathways forward, and we remain committed to walking with communities, season after season.
We’re excited to be sponsoring The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference this year.
If you’re attending, come find us at our booth. We’d love to meet you, hear your story and send you home with a small gift.
We’re also hosting a special side event at TGC Women’s: What Can One Church Do? A Biblical Response to a Hurting World.
This session offers a hopeful, biblical vision for how the local church can respond to global suffering with compassion and courage — without burning out.
Join us for inspiration and encouragement, and leave equipped with practical next steps for faith-rooted action.
Register at the link in bio.
A mother’s love cannot be detained.
And yet, across our country and around the world, mothers are being separated from their children — not by choice, but by policies that create distance where there should be closeness.
Some are separated for weeks.
Others for years.
Some are doing everything they can just to stay connected across borders.
A new report from World Relief and the National Association of Evangelicals finds that 910,000 U.S. citizen children would be separated from one or both parents by 2029 with the average of the child being 8 years old.
Behind every number is a mother still showing up — with courage, with sacrifice and with enduring love.
This Mother’s Day, we remember them. And we consider how we’re called to respond.
Read more at the link in bio.
#mothersday #familyseparation #advocacy
Our World Refugee Day Church Toolkit is here! If you’re a pastor or church leader, our new toolkit has adaptable resources to help you lead your faith community in prayer, learning and compassionate action for our refugee sisters and brothers.
It starts with a simple 15‑minute prayer and action moment you can integrate right into your worship service.
For those wanting to dive deeper, choose from a variety of resources to design an experience that’s just right for your congregation, including:
📍 A refugee simulation activity
📍 Small group learning materials
📍 Conversation cards
Every day, families fleeing conflict and violence step into an unknown future believing something better is still possible. They believe in more.
And as people of faith, we believe that more is possible too. Will your church join us in prayer and action for World Refugee Day? Let’s believe in more, together.
🧰 Get your free church toolkit, or send this to your pastor today at the link in bio.
A NEW Report you need to know about by @worldrelief and @naevangelicals
Joined Together, Torn Apart: How US Immigration Policies are Separating Families
The report found that if the planned immigration policies — mass deportation each year of 1 million immigrants vulnerable to deportation and an indefinite pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries — were carried out at the scope and scale that they’re currently projected over the next several years, up to:
910,000 U.S. citizen children would be separated from one or both of their parents;
272,000 U.S. citizen spouses would be separated from their partner; and
150,000 spouses and children would remain separated abroad from their U.S. citizen spouses and children.
In sum, more than 1.3 million U.S. citizens are projected to be separated from their families by the end of the current administration in early 2029.
Your voice is needed.
Comment FAMILY below and we’ll connect you to your rep to advocate for a better way forward.
