“Pop up” Letter-writing Sunday, February 2/23 for Refugee Support
What has happened:
Day 1 – President Trump issued executive orders – one to “pause” [cancel] from January 22 – April 30, all immigration travel. After 90 days, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State are to report on impact; every 90 days thereafter, another report; all to decide whether programs are worth continuing. So, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW, as an example refugee support agency) is to receive no further refugees.
At present, however, LSS-SW has many folks who arrived within the last 90 days. Specifically, from Nov 1, 2024 – Jan 21, 2025: 259 LEGAL refugees (82 families) arrived in Phoenix; 129 refugees (48 families) arrived in Tucson.
Then, on January 24, the Secretary of State issued a “stop work” memo directing that no client or administrative expenses can be incurred after January 24. So Global Refuge [GR] & Episcopal Migration Ministries [EMM] – both of which subcontract to LSS-SW for refugee support – receive no more funding. Thus, LSS cannot bill for any work to support refugees who are already here.
Global Refuge (only in Phoenix, not Tucson) is going to use private money to pay direct expenses of anyone who came in January – e.g., February rent, food, utilities. They cannot pay LSS-SW for staff time (indirect expenses). LSS-SW in Tucson works with EMM; EMM does not have the deep pockets that GR has so cannot provide either direct or indirect expenses. As one illustration, this is an $870,000 immediate loss to LSS-SW.
Please see the attached draft letter below to be signed and sent to Senators Gallego and Kelly, and to Representative Schweikert. Given this is a federal issue, any member of New Journey - both year-round and seasonal - can sign these letters on Sunday, February 23rd. As always, you may write your own letter in support (perhaps also to your home state legislators) or write from a different point of view. Thank you for your support of putting our voices as Lutherans into the public square.
