Welcome to This Week at LIRS! 


Every week, we catch you up on what's new at LIRS—from upcoming events to media appearances, important immigration updates, and more. 
"Krish Vignarajah has been in survival mode for years as the Trump administration slashed refugee admissions by 85%. She’s had to close a third of her resettlement agency’s 48 offices and lay off more than 120 employees, some with decades of experience. Now, she’s scrambling to not only rehire staff but to double the capacity of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, an expansion not seen since the agency scaled up for the wave of refugees that arrived after the fall of Saigon in 1975." 

LIRS CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah was recently featured in an article in the Washington Post discussing the need for refugee resettlement agencies to quickly rebound and rebuild under a more welcoming Biden administration. 
READ THE ARTICLE
"[LIRS is] actively looking to our congregations, pastors, and community-based groups to partner with us. It is not something that one organization can do alone, but I am so hopeful because there is such openness in these communities to embracing the most vulnerable who seek refuge here." 
– CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah 

See the full interview in
The Christian Century. 
New LIRS Board member Matuor Dot Alier recently spoke to Living Lutheran about his life in South Sudan, the dark days he spent in a refugee camp, and how finding a community in the Lutheran church provided fulfilment, food, and a sense of family. 

Read Alier's moving profile in Living Lutheran.
This week, President Biden signed an executive order ending the use of private prisons in the Justice Department. Unfortunately, the order did not apply to ICE detention facilities. At LIRS, we know firsthand that safe, humane, and effective alternatives exist—and how damaging detention can be.

Check out our FAQ on alternatives to detention (ATD).
REMINDER: TAKE ACTION! As we enter a new era in immigration policy, we want you to join us in the work of welcome. Our Hope Rising Toolkit will provide you and your community with concrete ways to prepare for changes to the United States immigration system in the next 90 days (and beyond). 

Download the toolkit.
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