The latest on LIRS news, upcoming events, media mentions, and more.
** Welcome to This Week at LIRS!
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Every week, we catch you up on what's new at LIRS—from upcoming events to media appearances, important immigration updates, and more.
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"It is deeply disappointing that the administration has elected to leave in place the shameful, record-low admissions cap of its predecessor....Progress rarely comes in leaps and bounds; while we are encouraged by incremental progress towards restoring our humanitarian reputation, there is far more work ahead to reclaim global leadership."
On Friday afternoon, President Biden signed an executive order intended to speed up refugee admissions to the U.S, but that does not raise the total number of refugees allowed to resettle in the country. The current cap of just 15,000 refugee admissions was set by the Trump administration and represents an all-time low ceiling. As of April 2021, halfway through the current fiscal year, the U.S. has resettled just over 2,000 refugees.
LIRS CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah has issued a statement responding to the action and expressing our hope for a higher ceiling.
Read the Statement ([link removed])
CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah has spoken with several major media outlets about the Biden administration's announcement regarding the presidential determination and refugee admissions ceiling:
* NPR ([link removed])
* The Washington Post ([link removed])
* U.S. News & World Report ([link removed])
* Politico ([link removed])
Earlier in the week, CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah spoke with the New York Times about the influx of thousands of migrant children in United States custody, their care, and the systems in place to ensure their safety.
Read the article. ([link removed])
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TAKE ACTION FOR KIDS! The Protection of Kids in Detention Act, or PROKID Act, would provide a critical layer of oversight and ensure transparency, protection, and accountability for all immigrant children in any type of government custody. We are calling on our supporters and advocates to contact their legislators and tell them to support the PROKID Act today.
Speak up to protect immigrant children. ([link removed])
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Join LIRS’s long legacy of providing protection and welcome to unaccompanied migrant children at the border and beyond. Our Hope at the Southern Border toolkit outlines tangible ways for you, your friends and family, and your community to lend a hand at this critical time.
Download the toolkit. ([link removed])
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EMMAUS: Congregational Discernment is a new resource for congregations that are interested in learning more about the work of LIRS and find themselves asking, “How can we help?”
Through the three sessions of the Discernment Guide, faith communities will meet to pray, discuss, and discern how they are called to join in the work of welcome.
Begin the discernment process. ([link removed])
** Coming Up
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NEXT WEEK! On Monday, April 19 at 12 p.m. ET, LIRS will commemorate Climate Action Week with Fostering Resilience and Humanity at the Frontlines: Confronting Climate-Induced Migration and Displacement, a panel session as part of the Faith and Frontline Call to Action: Good Trouble for Justice event. LIRS CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah serves as keynote speaker and moderator for the panel, which will feature participants whose homes and lives have been affected by
climate change.
Register today. ([link removed])
Join LIRS on May 23 at 4 p.m. ET for our first annual Stand Up, Speak Up Spring Vigil. Together with hundreds of interfaith communities across the country, we will examine our roles as compassionate friends and justice-seekers through prayer, reflection, and stories from migrant and refugee families.
Register today. ([link removed])
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE ([link removed]) to our YouTube channel!
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