Church World Service

The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and prolonged delays in reimbursement for resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country and around the world. Welcome to the latest edition of State of Play from Church World Service. This resource will provide regular updates from the CWS ...

The post Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt appeared first on CWS.

After fleeing war in Ukraine, Esenia found safety, educational support and a path toward stability through the CWS partner-led Anastasis Community Center in Moldova. These services are made possible through support from Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD).  Ukrainian Refugee Children Find Safety and Support in Moldova  When Esenia first arrived in Bălți, Moldova, she carried only a backpack, her mother’s ...

The post “I Felt That I Could Be Myself”: How Children Like Esenia Are Finding Support in Moldova appeared first on CWS.

This story was originally published by Vanguard Law Magazine on September 21, 2026. You can find the original version here. Alina Marquez Reynolds had just completed her first year of law school when she walked into the Kings County District Attorney’s office for a summer internship and felt something click into place. She was assigned to work alongside prosecutors trying real ...

The post CWS General Counsel Alina Marquez Reynolds: The Legal Foundation for a Mission of Compassion appeared first on CWS.

Joint letter led by Church World Service and Refugee Council USA warns tens of thousands of refugees are caught in a ‘deadly bureaucratic trap’  WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ahead of Thursday’s deadline for states to end Medicaid eligibility for many refugees in U.S. communities, Church World Service (CWS) and Refugee Council USA issued a joint letter signed by 58 other refugee-serving, religious, veteran, ...

The post As Refugees Lose Medicaid Tomorrow, 60 Groups Urge DHS to End Green Card Freeze  appeared first on CWS.

Disasters are more than newspaper headlines. They disrupt neighborhoods, force families from their homes and leave communities struggling to recover long after national attention fades. Floods wash away roads and businesses. Wildfires destroy homes and livelihoods. Hurricanes leave lasting damage that communities may spend months or even years rebuilding from.  Over the last decade, the United States has experienced roughly 199 separate weather and climate ...

The post National Preparedness Month: Why Disaster Preparedness Matters More Than Ever appeared first on CWS.

Reported FY 2027 refugee ceiling abandons world’s most at-risk refugees  WASHINGTON, D.C.,—Today, Church World Service (CWS) expresses its profound alarm in response to reports that the Trump administration has proposed a Presidential Determination capping FY 2027 Refugee Admissions at 17,500. CWS calls for a more equitable, inclusive Refugee Admissions Program that will keep its promises to those left stranded in ...

The post Church World Service Calls for Non-Discriminatory FY 2027 U.S. Refugee Admissions Prioritized by Humanitarian Concern  appeared first on CWS.

As faith-based organizations, we are deeply concerned by ongoing human rights violations experienced by refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced people. Across the world, people fleeing persecution face barriers to accessing protection, are denied the right to seek asylum, subjected to refoulement, detained arbitrarily, separated from their families, and exposed to exploitation and abuse. At the same time, increasing ...

The post Joint Faith-based Organisation statement for UNGA High-level Week and the 75th anniversary year of the Refugee Convention appeared first on CWS.

 “Collective Action for Women Refugee-Led Organizations” will collaborate with women refugee leaders, who are driving solutions despite limited access to critical resources.  NEW YORK CITY, September 23, 2026—Church World Service (CWS) today announced a new movement in partnership with Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to amplify women leadership in responding to the largest displacement crisis in history, “Collective Action for Women ...

The post Church World Service Commits to Elevating Refugee Women Leaders with Clinton Global Initiative  appeared first on CWS.

On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Houston resident and father, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in the city’s East End. Just days later, ICE fatally shot another man, Johan Sebastián, in Biddeford, Maine. On September 20, an ICE officer shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez as he was making a DoorDash delivery — one of at least two ...

The post TAKE ACTION: Demand Justice and Accountability After ICE Shootings appeared first on CWS.

Farmers in Cambodia’s Stung Prey Pros Watershed are improving vegetable production, strengthening livelihoods and adapting to changing climate conditions through climate-smart agriculture and Farmer Field Schools.  Across Cambodia’s Kampong Thom Province, smallholder farmers face a combination of challenges, including shifting weather patterns, limited water access, declining soil health and market constraints. Together, these factors affect their ability to sustain their livelihoods.  Through the CWS-led ...

The post How Farmers in Cambodia Are Building Resilience Through Climate-Smart Agriculture  appeared first on CWS.

Background Stranded overseas: The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban remains in place, stranding over 100,000 refugees fleeing persecution around the world who were conditionally approved for resettlement before the ban took effect.  These stranded refugees, many of whom have gone through years of vetting and screening, include: Nearly 15,000 Iranians fleeing religious persecution in the Lautenberg Program pipeline Hundreds of ...

The post Take Action: Urge Your Elected Leaders to Fight for Refugees Ahead of Upcoming Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions appeared first on CWS.

In the dry hills of Carazo, Nicaragua, every rainy season matters. Families depend on the land for food and income, but frequent droughts and poor soil conditions make farming more difficult each year. For a long time, each season brought more uncertainty than harvest.  Every year, an estimated 55 million people around the world is affected by droughts. Drought threatens people’s livelihoods, increases the risk ...

The post “I Feel in Control of My Future”: How Families in Nicaragua Are Building Resilience Through Farming and Savings appeared first on CWS.

In August 2026, a boy named Diego was forced to represent himself in immigration court. “I don’t know how to do it,” he explained, referring to an asylum application that must be filled out in English. The judge told him, “I can’t help you.”    In recent months, the Trump administration has ramped up its efforts to detain and deport ...

The post Protect Immigrant Children: Urge Congress to Demand Safety and Due Process appeared first on CWS.

In Tanzania’s Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, François is rebuilding food security for his family through sustainable vegetable farming. With support from CWS and partners, he has adapted into a farmer and community leader, helping build food security and resilience for his neighbors.   Across many parts of Africa, the months between planting and harvest are known as the lean season, a time when household food stores ...

The post From Fisherman to Farmer: Rebuilding Food Security During the Lean Season in Tanzania  appeared first on CWS.

On June 24, 2026, two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within seconds of each other, collapsing buildings across Caracas and the surrounding region. Nearly 18,000 individuals and families lost their homes, while thousands more remain in temporary shelters, uncertain whether their homes will ever be safe to live in again.  In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, local churches, community organizations and volunteers provided critical support. Two months later, the ...

The post Venezuela Earthquake Update: Two Months On  appeared first on CWS.

Two months after powerful earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela, thousands of families are still living with uncertainty. While the buildings that collapsed captured immediate attention, many of the toughest questions now surround the structures that remain standing. Support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the United Church of Christ’s Global HOPE and Church World Service (CWS) helps engineers from ...

The post When Recovery Continues With One Question: Is My Home Safe? appeared first on CWS.

In Moldova, a partnership between CWS and local organization Zdorovii Gorod demonstrates how investing in local leadership can strengthen child protection, support displaced families and build more sustainable humanitarian responses.  In times of conflict, children are especially vulnerable. Many are forced from their homes in search of safety and face prolonged displacement, disrupted education and limited access to health care and critical support networks. When protection ...

The post How Local Leadership Strengthens Child Protection for Families Affected by the Ukraine Crisis appeared first on CWS.

This blog was written by Maria, a participant in a program implemented by one of CWS’s local partners in Moldova, Healthy City (also known as Zdorovii Gorod), which supports Ukrainian refugees with comprehensive services including food and non-food items, social inclusion and integration and psychosocial support. These services were made possible through funding from the United Methodist Committee on Relief ...

The post “You Saw Potential in Us”: From Ukraine to Moldova: Rebuilding Life After Displacement appeared first on CWS.

Right now, there are no policies in place to prevent federal immigration enforcement agents from deliberately targeting spaces that represent key pillars of civic, religious, and community life. The threat of immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations” – such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, courthouses, food pantries, and places where people receive essential services – is preventing refugees and immigrants ...

The post Urge Your Members of Congress to Pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act appeared first on CWS.

After fleeing war in Ukraine with her children, Marina found safety, educational support and a path toward stability through the CWS partner-led Anastasis Community Center in Moldova. These services were made possible with funding from Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD). Pictured above: children participate in activities hosted by the CWS partner-led Anastasis Community Center in Moldova.   “Today, I no ...

The post Keeping Refugees Safe and Stable after Fleeing the War in Ukraine appeared first on CWS.