Press Releases

Washington, June 19, 2026—Church World Service today commemorates Juneteenth, the federal holiday honoring the sacrifices and legacy of Black American leaders that coincides with the arrival of Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas signaling the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery.    CWS is committed to honoring the legacy of all those who strove for equality in our nation, including the sacrifices and resilience of Black American …

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2026 —Since it was first established by the United Nations in 2001, World Refugee Day has generated lifesaving resources, awareness, and political will to support the needs of refugees stuck in protracted displacement. This year, as the world prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention on July 28, the faith-based international humanitarian organization CWS calls on the international community to uphold its commitment to international refugee law and reaffirm the fundamental rights of refugees worldwide to asylum and protection.  Today, one in every 70 people worldwide is forcibly …

Church World Service echoes the urgent need for guardrails and reform before increasing immigration enforcement spending  Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today called on Congress to oppose the latest budget reconciliation bill that provides Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with 70 billion dollars. The bill includes zero common sense guardrails to rein in the agencies’ reckless behavior that has resulted in prolonged detention of children and families; warrantless arrests; enforcement actions at schools, …

Church World Service Urges Administration to Uphold Program’s Humanitarian Commitment as More Than 120,000 Approved Refugees Remain Stranded  WASHINGTON, May 19, 2026—Ahead of Congressional consultations scheduled this week to adjust the 2026 refugee admissions ceiling, media reports suggest the Trump administration will propose increasing the current ceiling by 10,000 and reserve the additional slots exclusively for white Afrikaners from South Africa. Today, the faith-based international humanitarian and social justice organization Church World Service (CWS) condemned the proposal …

CWS, IRAP, HIAS, and LCSNW Amend Class Action Lawsuit Challenging Dismantling of USRAP (Seattle, WA)—Last night, refugees, their family members, and resettlement organizations moved to file an amended complaint in the Western District of Washington in the class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s dismantling of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The updated complaint adds five new plaintiffs and challenges the …