As the Trump administration prepares to take office, LSSNCA looks forward to collaborating with the new leadership to honor the nation's tradition of welcoming those fleeing persecution.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) celebrates the recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which reaffirms the right of individuals to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) opposes the Biden administration’s Executive Order today which effectively closes the border to people seeking asylum. The U.S. deserves an immigration and asylum system that embodies America's spirit of welcome. “The real solution is investing in a more humane asylum system that recognizes the human dignity in those seeking refuge at our borders and that adequately resources the courts to more efficiently process asylum applications,” said LSSNCA CEO Kristyn Peck.

Click to read the full statement.

LSSNCA expresses concern that the asylum adjustments rule announced May 9 by the Biden administration may substantially elevate the asylum rejection rate for migrants lacking legal representation and sufficient time to navigate the asylum process.

LSSNCA joined African Communities Together, ECDC, and more than 100 other organizations to request an immediate extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia in response to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) extends our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the six workers presumed dead after the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge accident in Baltimore.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) urges Congress to pass the recently introduced Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 5856). We invite you to join us in advocating for the passage of H.R. 5856 by reaching out to your local representative. By passing this legislation, we can send a powerful message that the United States is committed to combating human trafficking, supporting survivors, and creating a safer and more just society.

LSSNCA was hopeful to see a bipartisan border bill finally presented - recognizing that the modernization of our immigration system is long overdue. LSSNCA supports the United States’ right to increase security measures at the border, yet, not at the expense of vulnerable individuals fleeing persecution.

LSSNCA calls upon lawmakers to prioritize a humane and just immigration system that respects the rights and dignity of those seeking refuge on U.S. shores and prioritizes meaningful access and pathways to those seeking safety. We urge them to reject any deal that compromises these principles and instead work towards comprehensive immigration reform that reflects the values upon which our nation was built.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) is honored to announce its selection as one of five recipients of the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP) by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. This federally funded initiative is designed to provide voluntary, trauma-informed, and culturally competent case management, along with related services, to asylum-seekers and others in need of humanitarian relief participating in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) applauds today’s decision by Judge Dana Sabraw to prohibit separating families at the border, underscoring the values of human dignity and the right to safety which must underpin our asylum system.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), a human services and immigration relief and refugee welcome agency, is honored to be selected by Governor Wes Moore’s Maryland Service Corps program as a host organization.

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded LSSNCA a generous grant of $85,000 in support of our Refugee and Immigrant Services Program for fiscal year 2023.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) strongly supports the Protecting Unaccompanied Children Act introduced by Senator Durbin yesterday, and also applauds the complementary letter released October 23, by Sen. Durbin and other concerned senators to the Department of Labor echoing our calls to hold companies accountable to follow existing child labor laws and regulations.  

“The proposed legislation recognizes the unique vulnerabilities children fleeing violence and persecution who arrive in the United States alone face,” said Kristyn Peck, LSSNCA CEO. “It provides much-needed safeguards and protection by filling in critical gaps for unaccompanied children in the U.S.,” she continued. 

The office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services awarded its 2023 CARING Grant to Solutions in Hometown Connections (SHC), a nonprofit based in Riverdale, MD that serves immigrant families. SHC will work with subawardee Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area to provide legal services for naturalization through this program.

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) welcomes the administration's recent decision to extend and expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. TPS is crucial for individuals facing uncertainty and unable to return to their home country due to ongoing conflicts, natural disasters, or similar extreme situations. TPS recipients often qualify for essential services that are vital for rebuilding their lives.

Yesterday and today’s immigration policy and initiative announcements from the Biden Administration reveal just how broken our immigration system is -- with policies that both represent our nation’s legacy and moral obligation to welcome those fleeing persecution and those that raise concerns about due process and treating people with dignity. Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) affirms the inherent dignity of all who migrate. We know people do not leave their homes unless the fear of staying outweighs the fear of uncertainty and danger of the journey.

The Biden Administration is rumored to be considering leaving vulnerable individuals in the care of state governments that have not only expressed their disdain toward those in need but have acted on it. We call on the Administration, and Congressional partners, to embrace the sentiments this country, a nation of immigrants, was founded on: the fundamental rights to liberty and access to fair due process and take seriously the protection of those seeking safety at our door.