June 26, 2018
Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) is deeply saddened by the U.S Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Administration’s travel ban for people from five predominantly Muslim countries.
This decision runs counter to the values of the United States and to the sensibilities of Lutherans. For decades, American Lutherans have been committed to welcoming new neighbors world-wide. At the end of World War II, one out of every six Lutherans in the world was a refugee or displaced person. Since then, American Lutherans have worked with other faith-based counterparts to welcome newcomers of all faiths into our communities who seek safety, opportunity, and peace.
Lutherans not only know welcome, but also the stigma of being painted unfairly with broad brush strokes. During World War II, many American Lutherans stopped speaking German in their homes for fear that they would be considered Nazi sympathizers. The assumption that the upheld travel ban makes about entire populations is no different from the erroneous, blanket assumptions made about many German-speaking Lutherans during World War II.
The United States can, and must, continue to welcome people who are in search of safety and respite, while continuing to ensure security. This does not have to be a choice. We can, and should, continue to do both. Lutheran Family Services will continue to advocate for America to be a beacon of hope for people from every country in the world.
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About Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska Established in 1892, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) is a faith-based, not-for-profit, multi-service human care agency with locations across Nebraska and an office in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The LFS mission is to provide human care services that build and strengthen individual, family and community life. As a multi-service organization, LFS demonstrates its mission through three broad service areas:
Community Services: providing refugee resettlement services, immigration legal services, AmeriCorps support and education and employment services for new populations.
Behavioral Health Services: including mental health counseling, sexual abuse/incest treatment, substance use treatment, and specialized counseling for children, adolescents, adults and families
Children Services: providing infant, international and foster care adoption services and searches, foster care, pregnancy counseling, maternal health care and family support services To learn more visit www.LFSneb.org.
