World Relief Condemns DHS Move to Strip Protections from Previously Approved Refugees, Violating Promises U.S. Made to Those Fleeing Persecution

Faith leaders call for swift reversal and reinstatement of full protections made to most vetted category of immigrant

Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255

BALTIMORE, Md. – Late last night, in an unprecedented reversal of decades-long interpretation of refugee law, the Department of Homeland Security submitted a memo for court proceedings that formalized and expanded attacks on refugees’ protections. This new guidance voids previous interpretations of refugee law and allows USCIS to take into physical custody any refugee who has not completed adjusting their status to Lawful Permanent Refugee (i.e. acquiring a green card) at one year after arrival – despite having halted processing green card applications – and it expands the interpretation of “inspection” to reopen an individual’s previously determined refugee status without reasonable cause. It also initiates removals for refugees whom these administrative staffers determine not to qualify. Not only does this move undermine the trust placed in the U.S. government by refugees who fled the worst crises imaginable, but it creates extrajudicial authority in the hands of staff officials who could be poorly equipped or bent on pursuing political ends and strips refugees of a fair opportunity to make their case. World Relief categorically condemns these measures and calls for the swift reversal and reinstatement of full protections for thoroughly vetted refugees. World Relief also calls on lawmakers to require DHS to reverse any attacks on refugees and prevent the use of taxpayer dollars toward mistreatment of them.

“The character of a nation is revealed in how it honors its commitments and how it treats the most vulnerable. Today, we have failed on both counts,” commented Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Forcing refugees, who have already been stringently interrogated, to undergo further questioning was already an affront, but irrevocably breaking their trust by withdrawing the safety promised to them and placing them in physical custody displays a very low value of human life. To the great shame of our nation, we have made image bearers of God – who, in many cases, suffered for the sake of His Name – into pawns of petty political ends.” 

Refugees are the most thoroughly vetted category of immigrant. Before being approved for a limited spot in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, they must first prove, to U.S. officials and generally also to international officials, that they have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership with a particular group. Upon arrival, they are automatically provided legal status and work authorization, and after they have been present in the U.S. for a year, they are invited to adjust their status by applying for a green card, becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident. Since November and now formalized by this memo, this standard transition of status has been exploited as an opportunity to throw into question any refugees who had been resettled in the U.S. during the previous administration and who had not yet received a green card. 

There are existing mechanisms in place to investigate any legitimate threats that might surface after a refugee is resettled, but those processes are rightly intended only for when there is a credible reason for specific concerns. These measures already ensure the fair treatment of the refugee in question and the safety of U.S. citizens more broadly. In contrast, blanket reinterviews, introducing the option for someone other than an immigration judge to make determinations and initiating removal proceedings all create avenues that can be leveraged for political ends. 

“Romans 13 indicates that a government should be a terror to the wicked, not to those abiding by its laws,” commented Hannah Daniel, director of government relations at World Relief. “What we see here is government terrorizing the law abiding, not those who have done evil. We are witnessing a fundamental rewriting of half a century of immigration law through extralegal actions, and in doing so violating the biblical principle to let our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no.’ As citizens, we should be able to expect more of our government, and we have cause to be deeply concerned. As believers, we join in grieving with our sisters and brothers in Christ who are living in fear that they might be returned to the very persecutions they fled.” 

World Relief invites Christians to add their names to a statement – already signed by over 13,000 Christians from all 50 states – urging the administration and congressional leaders to halt any initiatives to re-interview refugees and to restore the refugee admissions ceiling to a historically viable number. Individuals are welcome to add their names at worldrelief.org/statementonrefugees.   

World Relief encourages refugees who fear that they will be impacted by this policy change to consult with an experienced immigration attorney or a non-profit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide low-cost immigration legal services, including many offices of World Relief and local church partners. 

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.