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2024 Annual Report
Positioned to Make an Impact
2025 Immigration Principles
Jennie Murray, President & Chief Executive Officer
Jennie Murray, President & Chief Executive Officer
“This report reflects what keeps me inspired. Over the last year we have cultivated and amplified the courage and leadership of police chiefs in Blue Island, Illinois; college students in Iowa; business leaders in Texas; pastors from Tennessee; and evangelical women in all 50 states through decades-old networks built on trust. The tremendous power of these constituencies is a critical component in our nation’s ability to overcome anti-immigrant narratives and policy in order to rebuild with an even greater coalition of Americans who share a belief in the value of immigration to our nation. For the Forum and our networks, the principles and strategy that guide us are as clear as ever.
“This report reflects what keeps me inspired. Over the last year we have cultivated and amplified the courage and leadership of police chiefs in Blue Island, Illinois; college students in Iowa; business leaders in Texas; pastors from Tennessee; and evangelical women in all 50 states through decades-old networks built on trust. The tremendous power of these constituencies is a critical component in our nation’s ability to overcome anti-immigrant narratives and policy in order to rebuild with an even greater coalition of Americans who share a belief in the value of immigration to our nation. For the Forum and our networks, the principles and strategy that guide us are as clear as ever.
Vision for the Future
The Forum has on-the-ground mobilizers and staff with deep networks nurtured over many years of leadership and service across 20 states.
About the Forum
Students of Welcome Site
4 universities
English Language Learning Site
The Forum launched on-site programming in 8 churches or universities through the Students of Welcome and English at church pilot programs, all of which are on pace to double in number in 2025.
4 Churches
SMS Group Members
21,000
4 MILLION
people reached
online
In 2024 evangelical women turned their faith into action. Women of Welcome hosted dozens of women on 3 visits to the Southern border and 2 court observation experiences. We Choose Welcome launched the Welcome Collective, a leadership and fellowship training cohort of women from across the nation. Together, both programs mobilized 12 groups to submit applications for sponsoring refugees families with the Welcome Corps (more in the video).
“To be in a space of Christians speaking truth to power and standing with our immigrant and refugee sisters and brothers was truly a healing experience for me.”
“To be in a space of Christians speaking truth to power and standing with our immigrant and refugee sisters and brothers was truly a healing experience for me.”
Welcome Collective member
Participants
300,000+
The Power of Faith
Launched in 2024 with expansion plans for 2025, these student clubs on 4 campuses gathered to make a sustainable commitment and long-term impact around immigration for students, faculty, and the school at large. Recognizing and acknowledging that the vast majority of Americans have an immigrant heritage, they are creating a sense of belonging and a movement of students who are better informed on immigration and motivated to serve with and advocate for their immigrant community members.
Faith leaders and young people uplifting values
CNSI is a group of 44 American national security leaders who believe immigration reforms are imperative to bolster and maintain the United States’ global leadership in the 21st century. They are experts with experience at the highest levels of government, predominantly serving Republican administrations, and in 2024 they had over 60 media placements and press statements.
Power in Education & Advocacy
39,000
Advocacy Actions Taken
Policy Products Published
103
164
Hill Meetings
Our Leading the Way 2024 theme was “Addressing Realities, Promoting Solutions,” and that’s exactly what our participants did. On November 12-14, a difficult moment for immigration advocates urging reasonable solutions, attendees from at least 24 states sought to recenter the immigration debate in a principled, bipartisan manner. Activities included meetings with grasstops leaders, a general session, our Keepers of the American Dream awards reception and advocacy meetings on Capitol Hill.
11th Annual National Leading The Way Convening
One week after the election nearly 300 national security, law enforcement, faith and business leaders came together and rededicated themselves to supporting immigrants and America.
Critical Work in Communities
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State and local law enforcement need adequate resources.
Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.
A larger legal workforce encourages respect for the rule of law.
Federal law enforcement should refocus its priorities toward catching serious criminals and security threats.
State and local law enforcement should target criminals, not contributing members of the community.
When immigrants feel safe in their communities, we are all safer.
These principles continue to guide LEITF:
Spotlight on Ohio
When the immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, came under attack with misinformation during the presidential debate last fall, our Forum mobilizer sprang into action because she knew this moment required urgent community-building and rapid response to prevent more harm. Because of a decade of service to Ohio, she was able to quickly gather over 50 faith leaders, city officials and nonprofit leaders to publicly support the Haitian community through a media campaign and community events.
When the immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, came under attack with misinformation during the presidential debate last fall, our Forum mobilizer sprang into action because she knew this moment required urgent community-building and rapid response to prevent more harm. Because of a decade of service to Ohio, she was able to quickly gather over 50 faith leaders, city officials and nonprofit leaders to publicly support the Haitian community through a media campaign and community events.
The Forum has expanded its direct service model to work with churches and host English language learning courses with digital and job readiness curricula through professional educators and commitment from church leaders and volunteers. In the Ohio church, the youth ran the childcare, so their parents could attend their courses. Many of the church families are living with and sponsoring asylum claims for some of the participants. English learners from Honduras, Ukraine, Nicaragua and elsewhere built community with church members through the power of language access.
English at Work Launches in Churches
8 employers with a total workforce of 3.5 million offered citizenship services
3 new curricula developed: agriculture, citizenship, and job readiness
In 2024...
1,700 employees used the Citizenship Portal
June 2024 marked the DACA 
12-year anniversary, and the Forum led advocacy days on the Hill with business partners from our Corporate Roundtable. The group met with key legislators and advocated for the dire need for a permanent solution for Dreamers.
Advancing our Country & Economy
Read our press hits of fact-based immigration coverage in the media:
65 Op-Eds
4,047 Earned Media Hits
4,047 Earned Media Hits
3,609 Press Clips
62 Press Statements
62 Press Statements
Shaping the Narrative
Leaders are looking to us and the Forum is ready and willing to lean into the tough moments ahead
Positioned to Lead
the Way:
Positioned to Reshape the Narrative:
Building trusted relationships with major-outlet journalists, lifting our constituency leaders in op-eds and TV appearances
Rebuilding the center in Congress by advocating for and creating bipartisan initiatives
Positioned for Defense and Offense:
Positioned
for Trust:
Nurturing and activating communities of constituents, ensuring authentic relationships are in place during these critical years
Positioned for the Moment
In March 2025, CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News, which have a combined 7 million live viewers, featured an in-depth look at the power and impact of the Women of Welcome program. The 7-minute story (watch here) covered the women’s trip to the San Diego/ Tijuana border and a powerful interview with Director Bri Stensrud. Since the broadcast, the group has seen an outpouring of support and thousands of new sign-ups to their network.
Evangelical Women Lift Values, CBS News
Student Leaders Engaged
After a powerful fall semester pilot, all 4 Christian universities are continuing their Students of Welcome groups into the next school year and 3 more universities have already signed up to launch their own groups. The new locations will be in Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona with more interest in additional locations to be confirmed later this year. The current Students of Welcome participants will be embarking on their first proximity trip to the U.S.-Mexico Border in June 2025.
Law enforcement leaders signed a letter expressing concerns with H.R. 32 No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act, the letter was delivered to Congress and signed by 13 sheriffs and police chiefs. We partnered with additional Bibles, Badges and Business leaders to take action in 3 states including preserving access to education for immigrant children in Tennessee, creating career opportunities in law enforcement for DACA recipients in Albuquerque and organizing federal advocacy with Iowa elected officials.
Law Enforcement Activated
Faith in action
250 people across 6 churches in Houston and Dallas, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Missouri; Bozeman, Montana; and Lynwood, Arkansas hosted a day of prayer service themed “God Sees, God Hears, God Helps.” The service was a time of lament, prayer, and a call to action, centering solidarity with the experiences of immigrants 
and refugees. The churches have already committed to hosting additional prayer services for immigrants in the coming months.
First 100 Days of New Administration: Forum Networks Activated
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Carnegie Corporation, Annie E Casey Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, Haas Jr Fund, the Houston Endowment, and many other generous donors
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters
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