Advocate – Arrive Ministries

Advocate for legal pathways

The United States Refugee Admissions Program

Every year, the president must decide the “ceiling” – the maximum number – of refugees who will be resettled to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The Trump administration has recently announced that the refugee ceiling for Fiscal Year 2026 will be just 7,500, a drastic reduction from the Fiscal Year 2025 ceiling of 125,000, and with a shift in focus away from religious minorities persecuted for their faith.

Setting the refugee ceiling at the historically low level of 7,500 – at a time when more people are forcibly displaced today than at any other time in recorded history – is inconsistent with American values and the Christian commitment to care for those who are persecuted, including those persecuted for their faith.

Act today and urge the President to reverse course, consult with Congress, and set the refugee ceiling at 50,000, consistent with the refugee ceiling in his first term.

Ways to reach out to cabinet members, the White House, and your elected representatives:

Find and Call your Elected Officials (or call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the House or Senate office you request)

Here is a possible script of what to say:
“Hello, I am calling/writing to ask that the President reverse course on the 7,500 ceiling set for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program so that refugees fleeing persecution can continue to be resettled. I am urging President Trump to consult with Congress and set the refugee ceiling at 50,000, consistent with the refugee ceiling in his first term.“

Leave a message for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on the Department of Homeland Security Comment Line by calling 202-282-8495

Sustain Legal Protections for Parolees

Urge Congress to protect lawfully present Afghans, Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Haitians and Others

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are currently present and authorized to work lawfully in the United States from countries facing severe crises are at risk of losing their temporary legal protections and facing deportation, harming them and further destabilizing their home countries.

Already, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the termination of parole for more than half a million individuals from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and other countries who entered the U.S. lawfully with a U.S.-based sponsor (often a family member or a church).

Other individuals from these countries who have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will also lose those protections in the coming months, putting them at risk of deportation. Individuals from Ukraine who entered the U.S. lawfully through similar parole programs are fearful that their protections could be withdrawn soon.

Ask Congress to pass legislation to protect these individuals and allow them to remain lawfully in the United States.

Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights are multilingual resources for immigrants providing general information on what to do if you are stopped, arrested, or detained by immigration or other law enforcement.

Education and Awareness Resources

Speak the truth in love and with humility

Use platforms such as social media, write an op-ed, read and share stories of local refugees and immigrants, highlight the biblical imperative to welcome the stranger and advocate for policies that uphold human rights and dignity.
Invite Arrive Ministries leaders to speak at your church or teach a class as a way to educate members about biblical perspectives on immigration and the experiences of immigrants today.
If you are a church leader, preach and teach on welcoming at your congregation
Use these resources that include articles, trainings, podcasts and books to explore immigration from a biblical and humanitarian lens.
Do the “I Was a Stranger” Challenge – a 40-day Scripture-reading guide, suitable either for individual study or for use by a congregation, focused on God’s heart for vulnerable foreigners
Do the Welcoming the Stranger study in your church small groups
and ministry teams.
Download and read the Closed Doors Report on Persecuted Christians and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement and Asylum Processes and the LifeWay Study on 2024 Evangelical Views on Immigration Study

Prayer and Spiritual Support

Offer pastoral care and support to immigrant members of the congregation, including counseling, advocacy and practical assistance with legal and social services from your local Arrive Ministries regional site.
Pray together as a church community, dedicating time during services or in small groups to pray for immigrants, refugees, policymakers and all those affected by immigration policies.
Specific prayer points:
– For our elected officials, as Scripture commands of us (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
– For the discernment and wisdom over our elected officials (Prov. 21:1).
– For safety for all refugees and other displaced people around the globe
– For the courage to advocate and affirm the dignity of refugees and people in vulnerable situations
– For Christians to welcome the sojourner and foreigner based on biblical principles
Download a full list of prayer points relevant to 2025 suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program