Join us June 20-22 for a celebration of the resilience of refugeees. 


** Welcome to the World Refugee Day edition of 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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Join LIRS in celebrating World Refugee Day from June 20-22!
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This weekend, LIRS invites our supporters to join us in a celebration of the courage and resilience of refugees around the world. There are plenty of ways to get involved ([link removed]) , from downloading our World Refugee Day toolkit to advocating for fair, humane refugee policy to sharing the stories of former refugees like Bhuwan, who was kind enough to open his home and tell us his family's story.

We'd like to extend a special thanks to Deloitte for partnering with us. The global firm has done inspiring work to reimagine the possibilities of the resettlement system ([link removed]) and to support and empower refugee workers ([link removed]) , and we're honored to celebrate #WorldRefugeeDay2021 alongside them.
Watch the Video ([link removed])

Download our World Refugee Day 2021 toolkit to learn more about refugees, to advocate for compassionate policy solutions, to share and uplift their voices, and to support the critical work of welcome. PLUS: Join our World Refugee Day poster campaign ([link removed]) on social media from June 20-22!

Download the toolkit ([link removed]) .

On Thursday, LIRS held a press conference entitled "Rebuilding the Refugee Program and Celebrating its Legacy" in recognition of World Refugee Day. Guests included:
* Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, leader and refugee
* Senator Ron Wyden, leader and child of two survivors of Nazi persecution
* Ms. Lubab Al-Quraishi, COVID-19 healthcare worker and former Iraqi refugee
* Pastor Emmanuel Jackson, a Lutheran pastor and former refugee from Liberia
* Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO of LIRS

Watch the recording ([link removed]) .
Read about it in Religion News Service ([link removed]) .

The Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement Act, or GRACE Act, would protect and restore the U.S. resettlement program by setting a minimum refugee admissions goal of 125,000 and increasing congressional oversight over the administration's operations of the resettlement program.

Ask your legislator to pass the GRACE Act now ([link removed]) .

What is refugee resettlement? This World Refugee Day, LIRS has partnered with Deloitte to create an easy-to-understand overview of the resettlement process from start to finish, as well as to share the stories of former refugees working at our respective organizations.

Download the resource. ([link removed])

At Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, it is our deepest belief that our refugee neighbors should be protected, embraced, and empowered in a world of just and welcoming communities. In honor of World Refugee Day, LIRS spoke with several former refugees about what the day means to them.

Watch the video ([link removed]) .

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE ([link removed]) to our YouTube channel!
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