The Trump administration signed an executive order titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program” on January 20, suspending the program for 90 days to evaluate its interests and resume refugee entry into the United States. The deadline for this suspension is set to expire on Easter Sunday, with the administration having not contacted Christian groups that support overturning the order. In 2024, the majority of the 100,034 refugees who resettled in the U.S. were Christians from countries where they faced severe persecution. The U.S. authorities tied the refugee program to high levels of migration over the past four years, leading to cities experiencing significant influxes of migrants.
Multiple faith-based organizations, including World Relief, have called on the Trump administration to reconsider its decision and resume the refugee resettlement process. Churches and individuals have contributed over $10 million to World Relief in response to the funding gaps created by the administration’s abrupt termination of financial support to resettled refugees and vulnerable populations globally. If refugee resettlement is not resumed, it could mean indefinite delays for refugees scheduled for arrival, leaving them stuck in refugee camps without the ability to work or support themselves, and facing food and supply shortages.
Efforts by World Relief to engage with key administration officials like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been ignored. The ongoing suspension of refugee resettlement, including a private sponsorship program called Welcome Corps, could have grave consequences on persecuted Christians waiting for refuge and local churches engaged in refugee ministry for years. National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim, Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission Executive Director Katie Frugé, Christian author Jen Pollock Michel, and Pastor Doug Sauder from Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale have all called on President Trump to restore the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
As the Sunday deadline approaches, countless refugees are left uncertain about their future, with the possibility that the Trump administration may uphold the executive order. The impact of this decision could be critical for refugees who were expecting to resettle in the U.S. earlier this year. Refugee advocates, faith-based organizations, and prominent Christian leaders continue to urge the administration to reconsider its position and resume the critical humanitarian program that has historically protected and supported those fleeing persecution and conflict worldwide.
