60 Organizations Urge DHS to End Green Card Freeze as Refugees Face Medicaid Loss
Church World Service (CWS) and Refugee Council USA, alongside 58 other organizations, have issued a joint letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end the freeze on green card processing for refugees. This appeal comes as a deadline approaches, which will result in many refugees losing their Medicaid eligibility. In July 2025, Congress passed H.R. 1, legislation that mandates the termination of Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP eligibility for refugees and other humanitarian entrants who do not possess green cards. Concurrently, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has maintained an adjudication pause on over 100,000 refugee green card applications. This combination of policies is creating a situation where tens of thousands of refugees, many of whom applied for green cards months or even years ago, will lose crucial health coverage, potentially leading to severe consequences, especially for those relying on Medicaid for life-sustaining care. The organizations also criticize t...
