Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

ELCA Churchwide Assembly Action CA03.05.10

Resolved
To commend the Metropolitan New York Synod, Slovak Zion Synod, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, and South-Central Synod of Wisconsin for raising the concern about refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers;

To encourage individuals, congregation councils, synod councils, and the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to:

• call on the President to increase significantly the number of refugees admitted under Presidential Determination, and to support an increase in the funding level in fiscal year 2004 for the Migration and Refugee Assistance Fund;
• call on all members of the U.S. House of Representative Bipartisan Congressional Refugee Caucus and lift up the needs of refugees throughout the world;
• call on the United States government to protect the civil liberties of all people regardless of citizenship; and
• call on Congress to pass S-1129, the Unaccompanied Child Protection Act of 2003, which would provide a structure for pro bono counsel so unaccompanied children do not have to navigate the judicial system alone, and allow the appointment of guardians ad litem (friend of the child) for children to ensure their best interests are served;

To encourage congregations and individuals to support Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and consider sponsoring a refugee family, asylum seeker, or unaccompanied child;

To call on congregations and individuals to lift up in prayer and action the needs of all displaced people; and

To direct the Division for Church in Society in partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to advocate for compassion and justice for asylum seekers, refugees, and unaccompanied children.