The Church of the Brethren and other members of Church World Service condemned White House efforts to abandon the U.S. Refugee Program in an Oct. 22 statement.

The program is a public-private partnership that churches helped form in 1980. The statement notes the current presidential administration is seeking to drastically reduce fiscal year 2026 refugee admissions goals to the lowest level in history and exclude vulnerable populations.

“The White House has made clear that destroying this highly successful, life-saving program isn’t enough — it now seeks to transform that program into something unrecognizable and unworthy of its proud history,” state the writers. “By drastically reducing the number of refugees to be admitted in the coming year, and by prioritizing Afrikaners from South Africa for nearly all those slots, the White House is shamefully abandoning the tens of thousands of bona fide refugees who have already been vetted and approved for resettlement in the U.S.”

CWS and its member churches called upon the president and congressional leaders to make good on the country’s promise to the thousands of refugees already approved for resettlement and to prioritize other highly vulnerable groups, such as Afghan allies and religious minorities who continue to live in peril.

The 11 CWS signers included Presbyterian Church USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples in Christ).