Christian Statement on Refugee Resettlement with Tens of Thousands of Signatures Asks President Trump to Resume Resettlement Program
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Plea Comes as Administration Concludes 90-day Review of US Refugee Policy
Contact: wr@pinkston.co
(Baltimore, MD) April 17, 2025 – Today, World Relief is re-releasing “A Christian Statement on Refugee Resettlement” with tens of thousands of sign-ons from Christians representing all fifty states, thousands of local churches and many prominent evangelical institutions. The statement urges the Trump administration to resume the U.S. refugee admissions process that was suspended by an Executive Order issued on January 20, 2025.
Under the terms of that Day One order, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is to submit a recommendation to the president by this Sunday, April 20, on whether the U.S. refugee resettlement process should resume. The statement highlights broad Christian support for resuming refugee resettlement, consistent with a January poll of U.S. evangelical Christians by Lifeway Research that found seven out of ten evangelicals — including roughly two-thirds of evangelicals who voted for President Trump last November — believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to receive refugees.
The statement, first drafted in between President Trump’s electoral victory and his inauguration, is signed by thousands of local pastors, denominational leaders, influential authors and podcasters, leaders of prominent national and state-based Christian advocacy organizations and advocates for persecuted Christians globally.
It highlights the longstanding U.S. refugee resettlement program’s alignment with President Trump’s comments praising legal immigration and affirming the importance of ensuring secure borders. It also underscores the vital role of the U.S. refugee resettlement program in offering refuge to Christians persecuted for their faith. In 2024, most of the 100,034 refugees resettled to the U.S. were Christians, and most of those Christians — 29,493 — came from the 50 countries where persecuted church watchdog Open Doors US says that Christians face the most severe persecution.
The statement also highlights a private sponsorship process for refugee resettlement, Welcome Corps, which has been a particular avenue for church-based groups to welcome specific refugees, with private groups taking on the resettlement costs typically covered by taxpayers. This sponsorship process has also been suspended, leaving persecuted Christians from countries such as Afghanistan and Iran in limbo. But churches, individual Christians and other supporters have readily showed their eagerness to financially support the refugee resettlement process, contributing more than $10 million to World Relief in the past three months in response to gaps created by the administration’s abrupt termination of pre-committed funds for already-resettled refugees and vulnerable people elsewhere around the globe.
Noting that President Trump set the maximum number of refugees to be admitted at 50,000 in his first week in office in 2017, signatories urge him “to once again set the ceiling for refugee admissions at that level or higher, consistent with his commitments both to secure borders and to religious liberty and opportunity for all.”
World Relief has requested the opportunity to meet with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance and White House Faith Office Director Jennifer Korn, to allow a small group of prominent signatories to present this Christian Statement on Refugee Resettlement in person.
The following are quotes from a few of the thousands of Christians who signed onto this statement:
Ryan Brown, president and CEO, Open Doors US:
“As an organization dedicated to serving the millions of believers facing persecution and discrimination because of their faith in Jesus, we know it is a small number of believers that will ever seek refugee status in the U.S. We also know the U.S. refugee resettlement program has historically been a crucial lifeline for these persecuted believers. As Christians around the world continue to face unprecedented persecution, we encourage the administration to consider the vital role refugee resettlement plays in addressing the plight of persecuted Christians.”
Walter Kim, president, National Association of Evangelicals:
“President Trump can lead the nation in rescuing persecuted Christians, as well as believers of other faiths, by restoring and strengthening the U.S. refugee resettlement program. As the son of a refugee from North Korea, I am alive today because my father was given refuge in South Korea and immigrated to the United States. Evangelical Christians stand ready to partner with the Trump administration to welcome persecuted refugees, knowing that by doing so we are obeying and serving our Lord.”
Katie Frugé, executive director, Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission:
“As the end of the 90-day pause on refugee resettlement approaches, I look back and give thanks for each of the 29,493 Christian refugees from countries where Christians face the most severe persecution who were resettled in 2024. Indeed, America’s longstanding commitment to religious freedom at home and abroad has made it a beacon of hope for persecuted Christians around the globe. I pray that our nation will continue to rise as a protector of those tormented by religious persecution, upholding our great tradition of compassion and strength.”
Myal Greene, president and CEO, World Relief:
“Most Christians support President Trump’s commitment to ensuring secure borders, but they also support sustaining legal immigration avenues for carefully vetted individuals who have fled persecution. We’re praying for the opportunity to explain to President Trump and his senior advisors why so many local churches and the voters who make them up want him to restore the refugee resettlement program.”
Jen Pollock Michel, Christian author:
“Refugee resettlement is not only a Christian priority, given our biblical commitment to protect the most globally vulnerable. It’s something the majority of Americans support. I urge President Trump to re-establish a humanitarian program that has historically brought hope to the persecuted and war-torn of the world.”
Doug Sauder, lead pastor, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale (FL):
“The Christian church has a great tradition of caring for refugees. This tradition comes from a clear mandate in scripture that we care for the widow, the orphan and the refugee. In every society through the last 2,000 years, Christians have advocated for the care of these vulnerable people groups, and the refugee resettlement program and the work of World Relief should continue its good work as we resettle persecuted Christians and those who have helped our nation at a great cost to themselves.”
Bri Stensrud, director, Women of Welcome:
“Christians have mobilized across the country to welcome refugees for decades. In the past several weeks — faced with the devastating reality that refugees seeking to lawfully enter the U.S. after undergoing a thorough vetting process are now being kept out — Christians are mobilizing to advocate, pleading with President Trump to restore the refugee resettlement program. I pray he will listen!”