Promoting Family Unity
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Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service - NEW
Did you know that 5.5 million children living in the United States have at least one parent who is undocumented? Since 1998, over 100,000 immigrant parents of U.S. citizen children have been deported from the United States.
A recent report by the Urban Institute shows that detention, deportation, and other harsh forms of immigration enforcement have devastating effects on children and their families. The fear and anxiety of family separation affects children's behavior and emotional well-being, and can lead to a lack of appetite, sleep walking, nightmares, and emotional withdrawl.
Parents facing deportation are forced to make a decision no one should have to make – to leave their children behind in the United States or to take them to countries they have never seen.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service advocates for protecting family unity during immigration enforcement actions. We seek reforms to our laws and policies that would allow family members to remain together while a loved one navigates the immigration process. Without changes to our laws and policies, thousands of children will continue to struggle when one or both of their parents are locked up in an immigration detention facility or deported to a foreign land.
We need your help to urge Congress and President Obama to enact immigration reform that protects family unity. Your voice makes a difference. Here are other ways you can do your part to protect family unity, stand for welcome, and advocate on behalf of families in the United States:
Visit the family unity page on the LIRS website.
Plan a Stand for Welcome Sunday for your church in March.
Follow LIRS on Twitter and Facebook.
Attend Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, DC, on March 19-21 for workshops, an LIRS sponsored reception, a Capitol Hill rally, and a chance to meet with your members of Congress.
Thank you for standing for welcome. We appreciate your support!
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