Human rights groups are lining up in support of new legislation designed to help states and cities welcome asylum seekers and refugees into local communities. The Destination Reception Assistance Act, introduced in Congress July 30, seeks to expand the federal…
Refugee agencies praise Biden’s increase in admissions cap but call for greater infrastructure to make the goal possible
Refugee agencies praised the Biden administration’s decision to hike the refugee resettlement cap to 125,000 from 62,500 beginning in October, but added the higher allowance will do little good without assistance in rapidly rebuilding capacity lost during the Trump presidency….
Supporting the influx of Afghan refugees is bringing divided Americans together
American religious groups, civic associations, businesses and even neighborhoods are enthusiastically responding to pleas to aid tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in need of rapid resettlement across the nation. Officials who oversee refugee resettlement agencies and the leaders of…
Baptists worldwide uniting to offer aid to Haiti as challenges mount
Baptist organizations from around the world are joining forces to provide financial, material and spiritual care to Haitians reeling from the Aug. 14 earthquake that killed at least 2,200, injured more than 12,000 and flattened tens of thousands of homes,…
Faith leaders call on Americans to ‘welcome the stranger’ as Biden administration announces new refugee admissions cap
The Biden administration has announced it will raise the refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for the current fiscal year and to 125,000 for the 2022 fiscal year. This is a welcome and much-needed step as it follows a months-long delay…
Trump inspiring more churches to enter sanctuary movement
In the mid-1980s, members and leaders of Old Cambridge Baptist Church risked fines and imprisonment to provide sanctuary to an El Salvadoran wanted by her government and U.S. immigration authorities. Now, Pastor Cody Sanders says, a group of church members…