As the longest night approaches on Dec. 21, National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is observed. The ELCA and other faith groups signed a letter to Congress urging support for homeless assistance and affordable housing in the FY26 spending bill. “Annually on National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which coincides with the December 21st dark winter solstice, we somberly remember those who died while experiencing homelessness over the past year. During the cold winter months, people living outside in our country are at the highest risk of dying from treatable health conditions or overdoses. We are concerned this risk will suddenly increase this winter if funding gaps cause service disruptions to HUD’s homelessness programs,” it reads in part, continuing: “We urge you to support including a provision in the next T-HUD bill that directs HUD to renew all existing Continuum of Care grants expiring during calendar year 2026 for one year.”

Here is a refresher on how a bill becomes a law!

Global Refuge is proud to announce Faith Alliance, a new safe welcome training for faith communities. The multipart program explores the Biblical roots for welcome, immigration basics, and tangible ways communities of faith can carry out the work of welcome. We look forward to sharing the full program soon…coming in time for Lent 2026!

First, the U.S. government canceled flights for thousands of approved and vetted refugees already booked for travel to the United States. Now, it is poised to relitigate the status of those already here and delay or block their path to permanency—a profound betrayal of the safety and security offered by a longstanding U.S. humanitarian program.

Urge your senators and representative to speak out and advocate to keep refugee status intact and ensure refugees can remain in their new homes!

Enough is enough.  

At Global Refuge, we honor and recognize the inherent dignity of all people. For 86 years, we have walked alongside refugees and other immigrants as they build their new lives in the United States—often fleeing war, persecution, and humanitarian disaster in pursuit of a better life. We welcome newcomers not simply because it is the right thing to do, but because it is central to our mission and identity: As a witness to God’s love for all people, we stand with and advocate for children, refugees, and other immigrants, transforming communities through ministries of service and justice.    

That mission hasn’t changed, but the environment has. For nearly a year, we have witnessed an unprecedented targeting of refugees and other immigrants in this country. Hundreds of thousands of individuals and families have had their lives upended by increasingly violent immigration enforcement, a deluge of official and unofficial policy changes, and a widespread, pernicious effort to dehumanize and vilify the immigrant community writ large. The lives of mothers, fathers, friends, and neighbors have become little more than political bargaining chips—tools used to justify a de-documentation and deportation agenda targeting immigrant families.

We cannot ignore or abide this pattern of escalating violence, and we stand in solidarity with our refugee and other immigrant neighbors. Where one was born should not dictate whether their children sleep safely at night or go to bed hungry. Fleeing violence and persecution because there was no other choice should not confer a life sentence in the shadows. A nation established by and for immigrants should not be the same place where grandmothers are afraid to go to church on Sunday, where children must watch as their parents are torn from their cars and slammed to the ground, or where immigration enforcement is used to punish and expel those who look, think, pray, or act differently.

We know, too, that the same people the administration seeks to deny citizenship are the ones that make the United States better—bolstering the workforce, contributing to local and national economies, and enriching the culture of our communities. The United States has long been both a nation of immigrants and a humanitarian leader on the global stage. We cannot allow the systems that support immigration to this country—the systems that allow families to seek safety and a better life, to flee war and persecution—to be deliberately dismantled. 

That is why the work of Global Refuge continues. Despite the onslaught of harmful policies and the frightening scenes on our streets, we’ve made a commitment, grounded in our faith-based values, to honor the human dignity of families, refugees, and other immigrants. In the face of misinformation and dangerous rhetoric, we will speak out. When refugees seek safety in our communities, we will walk alongside them. When children in need of protection come into our care, we will provide a soft landing and a loving home. When we can help our newest neighbors succeed as they build their lives in the U.S., we will welcome and support them at every stage of their journeys. We hope all people of good faith will join us. Together, we can demonstrate that refugees and other immigrants are still welcome…and always will be.