Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

For 80 years, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has offered welcome and hope to more than half a million refugees. Since 1939, LIRS has transformed lives, with the support of people like you, to welcome the most vulnerable to the United States — from sea to shining sea. Together we have supported, equipped and empowered these new Americans, while advocating for policy that protects all of God’s children.

​​Driven by our faith and our nation’s values, LIRS works to protect and embrace refugees, migrants, and children seeking a new life in America. Having carried out this work for more than eight decades, LIRS and our national network of service providers are uniquely equipped to provide holistic, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate care to the vulnerable individuals we serve.

Areas of Work

• Refugee Resettlement
  • Leading the Lutheran movement to resettle refugees since World War II.
• Foster Care Services
  • Connecting vulnerable refugee children with safe, loving homes.
• Family Reunification​
  • Ensuring migrant children are safely united with their loved ones.
• Empowering New Americans
  • Equipping new Americans to be contributing members of society.
• Welcoming Migrants
  • Offering compassionate services to recently arrived migrants.
• Engaging Communities
  • Empowering communities nationwide to join us in welcoming the stranger.

Click here to learn more about our work.