Lutheran Services in Iowa works to help refugees apply for green cards
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A citizenship ceremony at LSI. Photo: Courtesy of LSI
Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is working to launch low-cost immigration legal services to help refugees and immigrants obtain green cards.
Why it matters: Refugees were previously eligible for SNAP benefits upon arriving in the U.S., but recent changes by the Trump administration now require them to have green cards. Later this year, most refugees on Medicaid will also need green cards to qualify.
State of play: Nearly a year ago, LSI started taking steps toward obtaining U.S. Department of Justice recognition to provide legal immigration services.
- With the launch of the service, LSI plans to have an attorney and a DOJ-accredited representative on staff to help with navigating immigration paperwork.
- They plan to offer sliding-scale fees for the services, which are more affordable than private attorneys, says Nick Wuertz of LSI. A major problem for refugees is also "notarios," people who offer legal advice without credentials and may scam them or incorrectly file their paperwork.
By the numbers: Since fiscal year 2022, LSI has helped resettle 1,435 refugees, 115 unaccompanied children, and 45 foreign-born survivors of human trafficking, Wuertz says.
- Just over 4,000 total refugees have been resettled in Iowa since FY 2023, with most refugees coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Venezuela.
- Since January of this year, local nonprofits that help with legal services are reporting waitlists several hundred people long.
What they're saying: The service has become more important than ever, especially as the Trump administration detains and re-screens refugees, Wuertz says.
- Refugees already have to wait a year before applying for a green card.
The big picture: The program will start in Des Moines and LSI hopes to expand it to Sioux City, Waterloo and Davenport.
What's next: LSI is asking the public for help raising $150,000 to fund the program through its first year.
- The application will be submitted to the DOJ this month, and the approval process can take three to six months.