Provide food, housing, transportation, medical, legal, and other help to vulnerable families seeking asylum in the US.
Every day, all over the world, people make one of the most difficult decisions in their lives: to leave their homes in search of a safer, better life. – Amnesty International
Seeking protection from political persecution or other threats, many asylum seekers make long and often dangerous journeys to the United States. Once here, they must work through a complicated legal process. Currently, the average asylum case takes over four years to be decided due to the backlog in US immigration courts. Until an asylum seeker is granted asylum by the court, they receive little or no government assistance or help from resettlement agencies (varies by state).
Additionally, asylum seekers may not apply for employment authorization until after their case has been pending for 150 days (or longer in some situations). The inability to legally earn an income for several months upon arrival, combined with ineligibility for assistance programs, can lead to increased vulnerability and instability for asylum seekers.
The Church can stand in the gap with these families by extending Jesus’ love and meeting pressing basic needs.
