Biden’s Policy Crushes Church Communities

Faith leaders are sounding the alarm, warning that a Biden-era immigration policy is still strangling America’s churches and communities, and a new bipartisan bill in Congress is the last hope to stop the loss of thousands of clergy who serve on the front lines.

At a Glance

• Biden’s 2023 policy change created a massive backlog for religious worker green cards, putting thousands of clergy at risk of deportation.
• Faith leaders across denominations are urging Congress to pass a narrowly tailored bipartisan bill to resolve the crisis.
• The ongoing backlog threatens essential community services, especially in rural and immigrant-heavy areas.
• Despite rare bipartisan support, the bill faces an uphill battle in a gridlocked Congress wary of reopening immigration debates.

Biden’s Bureaucracy Still Strangling America’s Faith Communities

For decades, U.S. law recognized the vital role of religious workers by providing a specific green card pathway, so faith leaders could serve communities across the nation. That all changed in March 2023, when the Biden administration lumped religious workers into a new green card backlog, treating pastors and nuns the same as other non-priority visa applicants. Within months, churches, synagogues, mosques, and rural ministries felt the squeeze, as legal limbo forced many to halt their work or face deportation. This administrative mess—entirely the result of White House policy, not Congressional law—has left faith organizations scrambling to fill pulpits and support desperately needy communities.

Faith leaders hope bill will stop the loss of thousands of clergy from abroad serving US communities https://t.co/kcOAIlWVcL

— WDRB News (@WDRBNews) July 27, 2025

The numbers are staggering: thousands of pastors, imams, cantors, and nuns now face expiring visas, while congregations in struggling rural and immigrant neighborhoods are left without spiritual leaders or support services. A bipartisan coalition in Congress has finally introduced a bill aimed solely at fixing this backlog, but even this common-sense solution is caught in the crossfire of broader immigration politics. The result? Real ministries, real services, and real people are left in the lurch—collateral damage of bureaucratic incompetence and political gridlock.

Clergy Exodus Threatens Community Stability and Conservative Values

The cruel irony here is that faith leaders—people who dedicate their lives to serving others—have been forced to beg Congress for the right to keep doing their jobs. The Rev. Aaron Wessman of Glenmary Home Missioners could not have been clearer: “Unless there is a change to current practice, our community is slowly being strangled.” These are not activists looking to exploit the system. These are the men and women who baptize our children, run food banks, and comfort the bereaved. They serve in places government agencies have long since abandoned.

Under the old system, faith-based organizations could reliably recruit clergy to fill empty pulpits, especially in rural America and immigrant-heavy communities. After Biden’s 2023 change, the backlog exploded, and now faith groups must turn away those called to serve. This is not just a religious issue—it’s a direct threat to the stability of local communities and the fabric of American civil society. When churches close, food pantries shutter, and support networks dry up, the government’s safety net grows larger, more expensive, and less effective. Worse, the very notion of local, voluntary, faith-driven service—one of the hallmarks of conservative America—is under siege from the top down.

Bipartisan Bill Faces Uphill Battle in a Divided Congress

There is a solution within reach. Lawmakers from both parties have introduced a narrowly tailored bill that would restore the religious worker green card system to its pre-2023 status. It’s no amnesty, no open borders, no sweeping overhaul—just a fix to a problem created by bureaucratic overreach. Faith leaders, advocacy groups, and even business coalitions have joined forces to push this bill, emphasizing the urgency and rare bipartisan consensus. The Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus—a coalition that spans faith, business, and education—has labeled the situation “transformative” if addressed.

Yet, the swamp in Washington remains as thick as ever. Despite overwhelming support from the people who actually serve the country’s most vulnerable, the bill risks being bogged down by those who would rather use immigration as a wedge issue than solve real problems. Lawmakers fear that opening the door to any immigration debate will unleash a flood of unrelated demands and political posturing. So, while faith leaders rally, communities wait, and ministries face extinction, Congress dithers—afraid to do the right thing because of the left’s legacy of chaos on the border and the right’s justified skepticism of any immigration promises made in the last administration.

Conservative Values Demand Action, Not More Bureaucracy

The message from faith leaders is not about politics—it’s about people. This administration-made crisis is a perfect example of how government overreach and leftist policy experiments can threaten the very foundations of civil society. While the left obsesses over “equity” and “inclusion,” its policies drive out the very leaders who care for the poor, the sick, and the stranger. Only by restoring sanity, rolling back bureaucratic excess, and standing up for faith-based service can Congress begin to undo the damage. The bipartisan bill is a test: Will lawmakers listen to the people in the pews, or will they cave to the same failed policies that brought us here? For anyone who cares about faith, family, and the future of local communities, the answer should be obvious.

The fate of America’s churches, synagogues, and faith-based charities hangs in the balance. If Congress fails to act, the loss will not just be measured in deported clergy or closed sanctuaries—it will be felt in every community that relies on the compassion and commitment of those who serve, not for profit, but for a higher purpose.