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.
Brittany Livingston, LSSNCA’s director, foster care services D.C. shares her journey and insights into working with unaccompanied refugee children, highlighting the impact of our work - work you recently supported through our 50 for 50 campaign where we raised nearly $40,000, including a matching grant from our board of directors.
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) is honored to announce several key updates to its Board of Directors, including the appointment of Larry Bartlett, who directed the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for the U.S. Department of State for more than 15 years, and the appointment of Marie Martinez Israelite to Board Chair.
LSSNCA applauds the Biden administration's announcement yesterday that the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling will remain at 125,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2025. This announcement follows the achievement of 100,000 refugee admissions in FY24, signaling that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) has been successful in rebuilding following the decimation of the program during the Trump administration. LSSNCA has been on the front lines of this effort, offering safety and a warm welcome to 1,808 refugee families seeking a fresh start in the D.C. metro area during Fiscal Year 2024.
LSSNCA condemns the Biden administration’s gross expansion of restrictions to accessing asylum - effectively closing our doors to people seeking humanitarian protection at the U.S. Mexico border if encounters are above a daily average of 1,500 - released in today’s joint Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) final rule.
“The restrictions outlined in today’s final rule undermine the legal and human right to seek asylum,” said Kristyn Peck, LSSNCA CEO. “By lauding the success of early implementation of the order in cutting border encounters, the administration is effectively dismissing its moral and legal responsibility to provide a safe haven for those fleeing life or death situations. The asylum system is in need of reform, but the answers are not to deny the dignity and right of individuals to seek safety at our doorstep,” she said.
Read our full statement.
Jason, a dedicated LSSNCA foster parent in Baltimore, has been providing transitional care since 2023. He shares his experience with us, highlighting the significant impact that dedicated foster parents can have on restoring childhood for unaccompanied children who endure adversity.
This September, we’re marking a significant milestone for Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) as we celebrate 50 years of providing care for unaccompanied refugee minors (URM). This month, we’re sharing the story of Susan, a dedicated foster parent in Maryland. We talked with her about what inspired her to become a foster parent and how the experience has been so far.
LSSNCA calls on leaders and public figures to use their platforms to promote truth, respect, and unity rather than peddle harmful and divisive rhetoric. We stand in solidarity with the Haitian community in Springfield and across the United States, reaffirming our commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and social justice and our belief in the inherent dignity of all humans.
Read our full statement.
Three years on, the [Afghan] arrivals have slowed dramatically but they’re still trickling in. And LSSNCA said the needs are persistent, albeit different. Volunteer drivers are particularly in demand asmigrants need to be taken tojob interviewsorother important appointments. ... Also needed are tutors for kids settling into American schools, and mentors for adults trying to find their way in a new culture and a new job. Doctors, lawyers and even military-trained jet pilots in Afghanistan find themselves struggling to match their skills with jobs here.
LSSNCA joined more than 100 state, national, and local faith-based organizations to call on the
administration to urgently address backlogs in work permit processing and continue efforts to enhance,
expand, and extend access to work authorization for immigrants and asylum-seekers alike. Lastly, we asked
to codify the automatic extension for renewal applications and extend the automatic extension
period to 730 days as a means to protect the ability of individuals to work for years to come.
The ability to work is a gateway to the most essential needs we have as human beings, including food,
shelter, clothing, access to healthcare, and the ability to care for our loved ones and participate in our
communities. The call to work is widely recognized across many faith traditions.
Marjila graduated in journalism and communication from the University of Kabul. She worked as a journalist and served as a project manager for an NGO in Kabul while also establishing her own nonprofit focused on helping homeless children. On August 15, 2021, she woke up thinking she would head to the permit office to pick up the permit for her NGO and start operations. But the situation changed drastically when she learned that the Taliban had taken control of Kabul.
On June 29, 2024, Ukrainian families, brought together by language, faith, and culture, gathered to connect and share experiences in Colombia, Maryland. This special occasion, organized by Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area’s (LSSNCA) Ukrainian Supplemental Assistance Program (USAP) and the Ukrainian Refugee Student Program (URSP), coincided with Ukrainian Constitution Day, a momentous […]
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) condemns the political violence, mourns the death of Corey Comperatore and expresses our solidarity with his family and other survivors of the traumatic event that occurred at a rally for former President Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Abdul’s life began in a vibrant yet troubled Afghanistan. Born and raised amidst cultural richness and persistent conflict, his childhood was a blend of joyous family moments and the sobering realities of war. “It was a mix of happy times with family and the serious realities of conflict,” he recalls. “Despite the challenges, my family […]
Lutheran Social Services of National Capital Area (LSSNCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nikki Salzman as its Chief Development Officer. With a distinguished career in nonprofit fundraising and communications, and a steadfast dedication to advancing the work of welcome for forcibly displaced persons, Nikki brings invaluable experience to LSSNCA.
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) celebrates the recent executive action taken by the Biden administration to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens.
Click to read our full statement and comment from CEO Kristyn Peck.
