Our friends at the ELCA federal public policy office shared an advocacy opportunity to respond to a new federal rule that would give immigration agents broad discretion on how to make “public charge determinations” — allowing agents to deny entry or a green card to an immigrant they deem to be likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence or long-term care. 

“Public charge” determinations previously had a high bar and didn’t consider use of means-tested benefits. Under the new proposed rule, immigration agents might consider previous or anticipated use of any government benefit — both for applicants and even potentially their family members. The lack of specificity could lead to a chilling effect and disenrollment from critical services like Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

What can you do?

Submit a public comment here by midnight EST Dec. 19, opposing the proposed rule. You can read ELCA’s public comment here, and you can find additional detailed background and templates here (we recommend using the templates for reference only, and drafting your own comment from scratch). 

Who can submit a public comment?

You may submit a comment as an individual or on behalf of an organization. You may also submit your comment anonymously, but this is less influential. 

Why submit a public comment?

Federal agencies require public feedback on many of their policies posted on the federal register. Federal law requires agencies to consider and address these comments when making final decisions. Comments may also be considered in future court challenges to the rule. 

What should a public comment look like?

Here is one guide to writing an effective public comment. You don’t need to touch on every aspect of the policy, and your comment doesn’t need to be longer than a paragraph or two. The most effective part of your comment is its uniqueness and its insight on the rule’s impact on your community. 

If you write a public comment on this ruling, please let us know, paullarson@leanforjustice.org.

The Christmas story is one we return to again, especially in this Advent season as we prepare for our Messiah.

Mary travels to Bethlehem exhausted, pregnant, and afraid, forced to move under the decree of a tyrant, Caesar Augustus. She and Joseph arrive only to hear the words so many still hear today: there is no room for you. The vulnerability they face is profound. And yet, it is there, in a manger, surrounded by God’s creation, in a simple and unexpected place, that Christ is born.

Soon after, King Herod, threatened by rumors of a child who might challenge his power, enacts a horrific policy of violence, ordering the slaughter of children in and around Bethlehem. To survive, the Holy Family becomes refugees, fleeing to Egypt in search of safety.

This story feels painfully relevant.

Today, fear grips so many communities, immigrants and refugees, transgender Americans, people of color, people with disabilities, and those living on the margins. Once again, entire groups are scapegoated, treated as threats, told they are less worthy, less human, less deserving of care and protection.

That is why I am always drawn back to the Christmas story. Jesus is born in a manger, not a palace. God comes into the world amid displacement, poverty, and rejection. The nativity is not just a sentimental decoration, it is a story of vulnerability. A story of needing a place to rest when the world says, we do not have room.

And yet, Christmas calls us to make room.

This month at St. Paul’s, we are living into that call by serving as a warming shelter for neighbors experiencing homelessness in Carson City. Each night throughout the winter, churches across the city open their doors as part of a shared ministry, supported by local congregations, a non profit, and the Sheriff’s Office, to ensure that people have warmth, safety, and dignity during the coldest months. We continue to hold hope for a permanent shelter in Carson City, a long-term solution rooted in compassion and justice. Until then, we make room.

This is what the gospel looks like in action.

I was reminded of this during the recent Special Session when the Windsor Park neighborhood in North Las Vegas, after nearly thirty years of fighting for dignity and justice, finally saw an end to their struggle. Their story is a powerful witness to the importance of treating one another with respect and honoring the inherent worth of every community.

Housing affordability will be a priority for Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada in 2026 because the crisis is affecting our congregations and our neighbors alike. Rents continue to rise, and too many families are being pushed to the brink. During the Special Session, LEAN advocated for a cap on the amount of housing that out-of-state corporations can purchase in Nevada. During the 83rd Legislative Session, we supported tenant protections, an Affordable Housing Fund, and policy changes to allow greater flexibility and equity in housing development.

The Christmas story reminds us that God shows up where the world least expects, and often least welcomes. In a time when fear and exclusion are loudly proclaimed, we are called to embody a different story. A story of welcome. A story of dignity. A story of making room.

May this season remind us that caring for our neighbor is not optional—it is the very heart of the gospel.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Paul M. Larson

Anchored by the faith engagement working group of the National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention and the Kairos Center, Free Families invites communities to connect and coordinate our actions around family separation, detention and deportation; to plan and carry out activities that nurture and protect our families; and respond and prepare for greater crises. Our message is straightforward: The use of family detention is wrong, inhumane, and must come to an end.

On Thursday, December 11th at 5 pm PT/ 6pm MT/ 7 pm CT/ 8 pm ET, the National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention invites you to join us for an interactive call where they will:

• Share stories from around the country of how communities are taking action against this violence 
• Share new resources – including a toolkit with songs, rituals, prayers, and more – that you can use in your next gathering or action.

Through vigils, song, prayer, action and more, Free Families is a rallying cry and public expression of our commitment to the beloved community we all deserve.

In his Christmas message to the church, Bishop Curry delivers a children’s sermon, describing the night when Jesus was born. “One silent night, far away in a town called Bethlehem, the stars twinkled brighter than ever. And the angels were there too. It was as if the whole sky was whispering: ‘Something wonderful is happening.’”

Curry emphasizes that “whispers make us stop, listen and pay attention” and reminds us that, this Christmas, we should listen closely because “the heavens are still whispering: ‘Jesus is here. God loves you. Share that love with the world.’”