Will persecuted Christians continue to find safety here?
The future of the U.S. as a safe haven for persecuted Christians
On October 14, nonpartisan groups Open Doors and World Relief released a report that shared the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers the U.S. has accepted since 1980 and looked into how proposed immigration policies of the current presidential candidates will impact the ability of people persecuted for their faith to continue to find refuge here. In fiscal year 2024, 100,034 refugees were resettled in the U.S., including 29,493 Christians from the 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution. This is the highest number of Christians fleeing persecution resettled by the U.S. since 2016.
However, the Biden-Harris administration has placed severe restrictions on the asylum program, which has left those with a legitimate asylum claim, including those persecuted for their faith, at risk. And, if elected, former President Trump has pledged to suspend the refugee program on day one.
“The need for refugees and those seeking asylum to have a safe haven and to have a place where they flee and find safety, those needs continue to rise,” Open Doors U.S. President Ryan Brown said. “We certainly, through this report, hope to illustrate and give visibility to that fact.” The report underscores the importance of providing asylum and refugee protections alongside increased border security. To learn more about how we can have both, check out this National Immigration Forum article.
Border organization’s event highlights family separation
Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) is holding its 11th annual “Hugs Not Walls” event in November. The event is held along the international border between El Paso, TX and Juarez, MX and features family members separated by immigration status meeting at the border to hug and spend a few minutes together. Participants wear brightly colored vests or shirts that distinguish which side of the border they came from while border patrol agents watch from a distance. “‘Hugs Not Walls’ provides the long-awaited opportunity for kids, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles to see, touch, and hug each other for a few precious minutes, many for the first time in years,” said Fernando Garcia, BNHR’s executive director.
The exact location of this year’s event has not yet been announced, because the Texas National Guard continues to place razor wire and station soldiers along the Rio Grande, making the location where last year’s event was held now inaccessible.
Written by Jenifer Wellman, our Advocacy Director at We Choose Welcome.
