Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Cuts Jobs

November 5, 2002

CHICAGO – Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) restructured Sept. 27, eliminating 14 staff positions and freezing salaries, as part of a "renewal process" to deal with a potential financial deficit, reduced refugee arrivals and other special needs in U.S. immigrant communities.

LIRS is a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before the restructuring, LIRS had a staff of about 70 people at the national office in Baltimore and at various locations across the United States.

"It is of the utmost importance that LIRS continue its vital, nationally and internationally recognized work with refugees and migrants," said Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr., LIRS president. "To that end, we have embarked upon a renewal process to stabilize the agency's finances, preserve its stellar ability to carry out core functions, and enable the agency to rise boldly to the unique challenges of the day."

Deffenbaugh cut short his sabbatical leave, which was scheduled to continue into December, and returned to full-time service as president of LIRS on Oct. 14.

Annie Wilson, LIRS vice president for programs, served as acting president in Deffenbaugh's absence.

Thirteen people lost their jobs; one position in the finance department was vacant when the finance department was reduced. Wilson said LIRS will hire a finance director to assume the responsibilities of that department.

The agency advancement department was eliminated, and some of its responsibilities were absorbed into remaining job descriptions, said Wilson. Some activities, including the Ambassador volunteer program, were merged into a new division designed specifically to address challenges that have developed since Sept. 11, 2001, she said.

"Three key factors led to the financial challenges faced by LIRS this year," said Wilson. One was the reduced number of refugees the government has allowed to enter the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Another factor was a change in the way the government calculates its support for refugee resettlement. The third factor is "the disappointing results we have experienced in private contributions and grants," she said.

"There is a temptation to say our financial situation is directly tied to the events of Sept. 11, but it isn't," said Wilson. "It's just a complex combination of things that came together, exacerbated by what happened on Sept. 11 and by the slowdown in refugees," she said.

"In 2001, of the total arrivals nationwide, LIRS, our Lutheran Social Services refugee resettlement affiliates, partners and sponsoring congregations were responsible for bringing new hope and new life to 11,627 refugees in America. This year only 4,499 arrived. That's a big difference between 2001 and 2002," said Wilson.

"Government funding is tied to refugee arrivals but in a more complicated way than previously. Generally speaking, there is a per capita link between each refugee arrival and the amount of money provided," Wilson said. She said federal support accounted for about 80 percent of the LIRS budget.

"Now that we've made some of these changes, we do have a balanced budget for 2003, and it's balanced on hard conservative reality," said Wilson. "I feel confident that we will be able to sustain some additional and new challenges in 2003 without having to take any more drastic action."

"We're not worried for ourselves," she added. "We're worried for the refugees."

Each federal fiscal year a "presidential determination" sets the number of refugees to be allowed to enter the United States – giving exact numbers of specific refugees processed at certain U.S. facilities. The fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the government imposed a moratorium on refugee resettlement. The moratorium was lifted for refugees in late November 2001, but the U.S. government could process only 27,058 of the 70,000 refugees identified in the 2002 presidential determination due to more stringent and time-consuming new procedures, said Wilson.

"That means America failed to rescue 42,942 desperate people – the average attendance at a World Series baseball game," said Deffenbaugh. "It would hardly be a challenge for America to absorb that many people."

"The unprecedented shortfall in fiscal year 2002 and the low annual allocation of 50,000 for fiscal year 2003 have a profound impact on those seeking refuge from religious persecution, war and terrorism, as well as on refugees already resettled in the United States," said Deffenbaugh.

"The numbers game is insidious. The government fails to meet the admissions goal, and the following year the allocation for refugees and the budget to support the program are reduced. The government again fails to meet the target and so on. What is it about our governmental systems that prevent us from reaching these targets?" Deffenbaugh asked.

"I urge Congress to hold oversight hearings to investigate this matter," he added.

ELCA News Service

November 5, 2002

CHICAGO (ELCA) – Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) restructured Sept. 27, eliminating 14 staff positions and freezing salaries, as part of a "renewal process" to deal with a potential financial deficit, reduced refugee arrivals and other special needs in U.S. immigrant communities.

LIRS is a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before the restructuring, LIRS had a staff of about 70 people at the national office in Baltimore and at various locations across the United States.

"It is of the utmost importance that LIRS continue its vital, nationally and internationally recognized work with refugees and migrants," said Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr., LIRS president. "To that end, we have embarked upon a renewal process to stabilize the agency's finances, preserve its stellar ability to carry out core functions, and enable the agency to rise boldly to the unique challenges of the day."

Deffenbaugh cut short his sabbatical leave, which was scheduled to continue into December, and returned to full-time service as president of LIRS on Oct. 14.

Annie Wilson, LIRS vice president for programs, served as acting president in Deffenbaugh's absence.

Thirteen people lost their jobs; one position in the finance department was vacant when the finance department was reduced. Wilson said LIRS will hire a finance director to assume the responsibilities of that department.

The agency advancement department was eliminated, and some of its responsibilities were absorbed into remaining job descriptions, said Wilson. Some activities, including the Ambassador volunteer program, were merged into a new division designed specifically to address challenges that have developed since Sept. 11, 2001, she said.

"Three key factors led to the financial challenges faced by LIRS this year," said Wilson. One was the reduced number of refugees the government has allowed to enter the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Another factor was a change in the way the government calculates its support for refugee resettlement. The third factor is "the disappointing results we have experienced in private contributions and grants," she said.

"There is a temptation to say our financial situation is directly tied to the events of Sept. 11, but it isn't," said Wilson. "It's just a complex combination of things that came together, exacerbated by what happened on Sept. 11 and by the slowdown in refugees," she said.

"In 2001, of the total arrivals nationwide, LIRS, our Lutheran Social Services refugee resettlement affiliates, partners and sponsoring congregations were responsible for bringing new hope and new life to 11,627 refugees in America. This year only 4,499 arrived. That's a big difference between 2001 and 2002," said Wilson.

"Government funding is tied to refugee arrivals but in a more complicated way than previously. Generally speaking, there is a per capita link between each refugee arrival and the amount of money provided," Wilson said. She said federal support accounted for about 80 percent of the LIRS budget.

"Now that we've made some of these changes, we do have a balanced budget for 2003, and it's balanced on hard conservative reality," said Wilson. "I feel confident that we will be able to sustain some additional and new challenges in 2003 without having to take any more drastic action."

"We're not worried for ourselves," she added. "We're worried for the refugees."

Each federal fiscal year a "presidential determination" sets the number of refugees to be allowed to enter the United States – giving exact numbers of specific refugees processed at certain U.S. facilities. The fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the government imposed a moratorium on refugee resettlement. The moratorium was lifted for refugees in late November 2001, but the U.S. government could process only 27,058 of the 70,000 refugees identified in the 2002 presidential determination due to more stringent and time-consuming new procedures, said Wilson.

"That means America failed to rescue 42,942 desperate people – the average attendance at a World Series baseball game," said Deffenbaugh. "It would hardly be a challenge for America to absorb that many people."

"The unprecedented shortfall in fiscal year 2002 and the low annual allocation of 50,000 for fiscal year 2003 have a profound impact on those seeking refuge from religious persecution, war and terrorism, as well as on refugees already resettled in the United States," said Deffenbaugh.

"The numbers game is insidious. The government fails to meet the admissions goal, and the following year the allocation for refugees and the budget to support the program are reduced. The government again fails to meet the target and so on. What is it about our governmental systems that prevent us from reaching these targets?" Deffenbaugh asked.

"I urge Congress to hold oversight hearings to investigate this matter," he added.

ELCA News Service