Washington, D.C. – Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) denounces the administration’s efforts to rapidly deport people in the United States, including people who have entered seeking safety.
On January 23, the Trump administration instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to prioritize fast-track deportations for families, children, and individuals who recently entered the United States to seek protection and stability through the CBP One app or the parole program for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This directive follows the administration’s termination of both programs and expansion of “expedited removal,” a process that quickly deports non-citizens and denies them their right to counsel, a hearing, or to appeal their deportation.
“We are a nation with a legacy of welcoming. Our communities prove it time after time, from opening their homes to people fleeing violence and persecution to donating essential items for new neighbors,” said Kristyn Peck, LSSNCA CEO. “Targeting families, children, and individuals who are seeking safety in the United States for expedited removal is unconscionable. It is a clear abandonment of our nation’s commitment to be a safe harbor for people seeking refuge.”
These actions to rapidly deport our new neighbors will also hurt communities revitalized by their social and economic contributions. We urge the reversal of these harmful policies and Congress to honor our legal and moral commitments to people fleeing persecution and to restore these life-saving protections.
###
For over 100 years, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area has played a pivotal role in welcoming forcibly displaced people, supporting them as they rebuild their lives, and fostering thriving, inclusive communities.