Christian, secular aid groups criticize border crackdown

World Relief, a Christian organization, on Monday called on President Donald Trump to reconsider an executive order pausing a decades-old immigration program. Trump on Monday signed a directive to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for at least 90 days. The order charged the secretary of homeland security and secretary of state with evaluating the program. The secretaries are tasked with advising Trump on whether the policy would be in the best interests of the United States. The Trump administration aims to only admit individuals who can fully assimilate into the United States and to give local jurisdictions a role in deciding whether to receive refugees, according to the order.

World Relief CEO Myal Greene said in a released statement that the United States should do more to help refugees around the world, especially those experiencing persecution for their faith. In late January, World Relief joined other Christian organizations in signing a letter urging Trump to continue the program. More than 20 Christian leaders had signed the letter as of Tuesday morning. More than 27,000 refugees entered the United States in the first three months of fiscal year 2025, 2,241 of whom were resettled with the help of World Relief and local church partners.

What other orders related to immigration did Trump sign yesterday? The president on Monday declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and reintroduced his remain-in-mexico policy for those who arrive at the border seeking asylum. As part of the emergency, he deployed military personnel to work with border patrol to stop illegal immigration and called for officials to build more physical barriers along the border. He also designated cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.

What did Trump say about citizenship? Trump on Monday signed an executive order intended to reinterpret the principle of birthright citizenship as enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment states that anyone born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a citizen. In the order, Trump claimed the amendment does not apply to those born in the U.S. whose mothers were in the country illegally or temporarily at the time of their birth.

World Relief on Monday opposed the action, saying the amendment has always been interpreted to mean anyone born in the country is automatically a U.S. citizen. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday sued the Trump administration over its order.

How have others responded to Trump’s orders? Church World Service, a faith-based emergency response organization, plans to support and defend refugees and immigrants, it said in a statement released after Trump’s inauguration. The organization called on the Trump administration to welcome those seeking safety, wrote CWS President Rick Santos. The International Refugee Assistance Project, a secular group, on Monday condemned the executive orders and said it would fight the policies.

Meanwhile, Chairman for the House Committee on Homeland Security Mark Green, R-Tenn., on Monday applauded the executive orders. Trump’s actions would help secure the border and help officials ensure public safety in the United States, Green said.

Dig deeper: Read my report about Christian groups advocating for refugees in the United States.