Welcome to Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area's (LSSNCA) newsroom. LSSNCA, a human services and immigration relief and refugee welcome agency throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. metro area serves those on their immigration journey. Read how we're working together to amplify voices of refugees and asylum-seekers, create loving and responsible foster homes for unaccompanied children and refugee minors, advocate for new neighbors, and work torward creating a more just, welcoming, and thriving community.
For press inquiries, please email media@lssnca.org.
LSSNCA is deeply concerned by reports that the Trump administration plans to set the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling at 17,500 for fiscal year 2027, with admissions primarily allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa.
LSSNCA remains deeply concerned about the looming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 170,000 Salvadorans. For decades, TPS has provided safety and stability to people who cannot safely return to their countries because of conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Salvadoran TPS holders have built lives in the United States, raised families, contributed to their communities and workplaces, and made this country their home.
LSSNCA is deeply concerned by reports that immigration judges have been instructed to sharply limit continuances in removal proceedings, including for vulnerable children and survivors of violence who may be waiting for protections from abuse, serious crimes, or human trafficking.
LSSNCA urges the federal government to protect due process for refugees by preserving meaningful notice before terminating refugee status.
For families facing sudden and complex legal challenges, access to skilled representation can be life-changing. LSSNCA’s attorneys provide immigration legal assistance and support to families during moments of crisis.
LSSNCA met with Omaid Sharifi to learn more about his personal journey from Kabul to Northern Virginia and how ArtLords brings healing through art as a way to connect with and support refugees in the Capital Area.
This article features an interview with LSSNCA CEO Kristyn Peck and LSSNCA program participant Sayed Sadat.
Tens of thousands of Afghans are stuck in legal limbo as the Trump administration makes it more difficult for them to arrive in the United States and resettle.
As we mark this anniversary, we remember the Afghan allies who risked everything in service to the United States, honor the courage of their families, and renew our call for America to uphold the promise that those who stood with us would not be left behind.
LSSNCA condemns the Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. This decision comes at a time when Haiti remains profoundly unsafe: armed groups continue to terrorize communities, force families from their homes, disrupt access to food, health care, and schools, and leave many people without a functioning path to safety or democratic stability.
LSSNCA is deeply concerned by the Administration’s decision not to renew contracts with immigration legal services providers serving unaccompanied children.
Legal representation is a cornerstone of safety and stability for unaccompanied children. Children in our Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) program have been served through a partnership between LSSNCA’s in-house legal team and a federally funded legal services partner whose contract was not renewed.
LSSNCA is deeply concerned by USCIS new interim final rule allowing certain affirmative asylum applicants to be referred directly to immigration court without first being interviewed by a trained asylum officer. We urge the administration to rescind this rule and safeguard meaningful due process for asylum-seekers.
As we honor both America's 250th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention this month, may we recommit ourselves to building a nation that lives up to its highest ideals by extending hope, protection, and opportunity to those who need it most.
As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Fikremariam's story reminds us what is possible when the United States honors its commitment to protecting people forced to flee persecution.
LSSNCA celebrates Supreme Court's ruling on birthright citizenship, reaffirming that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees automatic citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. We remains committed to advocating for policies that reflect both our nation's constitutional values and our shared moral responsibility to welcome the stranger, protect families, and ensure every person has the opportunity to thrive.
LSSNCA condemns Supreme Court rulings limiting TPS and asylum protections.
