Bethany Christian Services Urges Congress to Protect Asylum Seekers

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – As negotiations continue on the Biden administration’s supplemental funding bill, Bethany Christian Services today released the following statement imploring Congress to ensure due process and legal protections for those seeking asylum in the U.S. while protecting the border and upholding the rule of law.

“At Bethany Christian Services, we believe that every man, woman, and child is created in the image of God. Those seeking asylum in the United States are often escaping dangerous and deadly situations, and we must ensure that they can lawfully find refuge,” said Keith Cureton, President and CEO of Bethany Christian Services. “We ask our elected officials to remember these vulnerable communities and that all people are inherently deserving of dignity and respect.”

“By limiting asylum and expanding expedited removal, families would be separated from their loved ones indefinitely. It will become tremendously detrimental for those fleeing violence and persecution to find safety in the United States, both now and for generations to come,” said Dr. Tawnya Brown, Senior Vice President of Global, Refugee, and Immigrant Services at Bethany Christian Services. “Families should never be used as bargaining chips for negotiation; they are men, women, and children simply seeking the safety and security that all people deserve.”