Arrive Ministries’ purpose is to seek life transformation for refugees, immigrants, and the church. Since we began in 1988, we have resettled more than 12,000 refugees and assisted thousands of others through our employment and immigration services, education programs, and volunteer connections, having mobilized more than 5,000 volunteers. 

• Annually we serve between 1,000-2,000 refugees and immigrants through our critical programs and services.  

• When refugees first arrive in the United States, they are provided only 90 days of case management support. Since the average time a refugee waits before being resettled is nearly two decades, we know this is not enough time for them to adjust to life in the U.S. Arrive Ministries’ programs and services assist families to become stabilized and to rebuild their lives in our communities. 

• Executive Orders in 2025 suspend the 45-year bipartisan U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and halted necessary funding for newly-arrived refugees.  

• Program Year 2026 refugee admissions ceiling was set at a record low of 7,500 individuals. 

• Travel bans from 75 nations went into effect throughout 2025 and strictly limited the nations from which refugees and immigrants could arrive. 

• Cuts to domestic and international aid continue to impact refugees globally and locally.  

• Read the full timeline of changes here

• Immigration enforcement escalated in Minnesota during the winter months of 2025/2026. On January 9, Arrive Ministries clients with refugee status began being detained through Operation PARRIS. Over the course of the following weeks, ICE appeared at families’ doors to detain them. Many were transferred to Texas detention facilities.  

• While refugee detentions have since been declared unlawful, individuals with refugee status continue to be summoned for re-vetting interviews of their original stories of persecution. 

• Read more about Operation PARRIS here

• While Arrive Ministries has always existed because of the support of generous financial partners, recent policy changes have impacted our funding structure. Since refugee resettlement and several supportive services are programs of the U.S. Government, once reliable funding streams are no longer. 

• In 2024, 35% of our budget was provided by private donations. In 2026, 75% of our funding will need to come from the partnership of individuals, businesses, and churches. This represents a $400,000 contribution increase over the course of two years. 

• Our team is comprised of committed individuals extending compassionate care with excellence and resilience. Most of our staff have assisted through programmatic changes, the rebuilding of the refugee resettlement program, and the Afghan crisis in 2021. Many contributed to reshaping program infrastructure that allowed us to assist individuals from 20 different nations and develop specialized programs that met the needs of displaced Ukrainians and refugees needing to learn digital literacy skills. 

• Arrive Ministries is led by co-Executive Directors who have been with the organization for nearly a decade, responding as both international and local crises emerged. 

• We know that this work brings about change not only in the lives of refugees and immigrants, but also in the hearts of believers who seek to love their neighbor. That is why our purpose is to seek life transformation for refugees, immigrants, AND the church. 

• Arrive Ministries partners with more than 200 churches throughout the Twin Cities, Willmar, and St. Cloud through educational and volunteer opportunities.  

• Visit our classes for churches and volunteer pages to learn more