News
U.S. Bill Aims to Protect Foreign-Born Clergy, including Kenyans, from Deportation
BY OLIVIA MUNGWANA
In an increasingly polarized immigration debate, a bipartisan effort in Congress is attempting to carve out urgent protections for a quiet, often overlooked group: foreign-born religious workers who face deportation due to administrative backlogs in the U.S. immigration system.
The legislation, introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jim Risch (R-ID), seeks to offer temporary relief to thousands of clergy members whose green card applications are stalled. The bill addresses a cascading crisis set in motion by a 2023 policy change that restructured how certain visa categories are processed—collapsing religious workers into a queue previously dedicated to abused immigrant minors.
Policy Shift Triggers Unintended Consequences
The root of the issue lies in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reorganization of the EB-4 visa category. Historically, this visa class allowed foreign religious workers to apply for green cards under separate processing guidelines. However, a March 2023 policy reform merged this group with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) applicants—minors from Central America seeking humanitarian protection.
The influx of SIJS petitions, many of which USCIS admits are marred by fraud investigations, has created an unprecedented bottleneck. Midway through the fiscal year, EB-4 green cards became entirely unavailable. Immigration experts now warn that clergy applicants could face waits of six years or more, far exceeding the five-year cap on the temporary R-1 religious visa.
“Unless there is a change to current practice, our community is slowly being strangled,” said Rev. Aaron Wessman, vicar general of the Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic missionary society. “I will weep with joy if this legislation passes. It means the world for our members who are living in uncertainty—and for the people they serve.”
Legislation Offers Targeted, Time-Sensitive Relief
The proposed bill does not expand immigration quotas or issue additional green cards. Instead, it seeks a pragmatic, temporary fix: allowing the Department of Homeland Security to extend R-1 visas for religious workers with pending green card applications. It would also protect applicants from having their petitions invalidated by routine changes in their job responsibilities, such as reassignment to a new parish or a promotion within their religious order.
Representative Mike Carey (R-OH) has introduced a companion bill in the House, echoing bipartisan support seen in the Senate. Both measures are currently being reviewed by the judiciary committees in their respective chambers.
“To be frank, I don’t know what objections people could have,” said Lance Conklin, co-chair of the religious workers group within the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “The bill doesn’t require more green cards—just time extensions. It’s a policy correction, not a policy overhaul.”
Foreign Clergy: A Pillar in Underserved Communities
Many religious institutions across the United States rely heavily on foreign-born clergy, especially in multilingual, immigrant-rich, and rural communities. These individuals offer spiritual leadership, but also serve as educators, counselors, and community advocates.
According to the Glenmary Home Missioners, two-thirds of its priests and brothers under the age of 50 are foreign-born, originating from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Mexico. Without intervention, many of these clergy may be forced to leave, disrupting religious continuity and community services.
The Diocese of Paterson in New Jersey—home to over 400,000 Catholics—has already turned to the courts. Last year, the diocese and five of its priests filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s 2023 visa policy shift, arguing that it imposes “severe and substantial disruption to the lives and religious freedoms” of both clergy and congregants.
Although that lawsuit was temporarily stayed in anticipation of congressional action, renewed urgency has led to the case being reactivated after the legislative fix failed to make it into a broader immigration package signed earlier this year.
“We just can’t wait anymore,” said Raymond Lahoud, the diocese’s attorney. “The damage is already being done. Faith communities across the country are suffering.”
A Shrinking U.S. Clergy Workforce
This immigration issue comes at a time when religious organizations across the United States are already grappling with declining clergy numbers. Data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University shows that the number of Catholic priests has declined by over 40% since 1970.
While the recent election of Pope Leo XIV—the first U.S.-born pontiff—has sparked renewed interest in vocations in some regions, the broader trend remains sobering. Many dioceses and religious orders rely on international clergy to sustain essential ministries in an era of waning domestic recruitment.
This makes foreign-born religious workers not only valuable but indispensable to the survival of faith-based institutions across the country.
A Broader Human and Legal Crisis
Beyond clerical staffing concerns, immigration lawyers warn that the ongoing delay places thousands of individuals in a precarious legal limbo. Once an R-1 visa expires, and without an extension or approved green card, foreign religious workers risk deportation—even if they have served faithfully in U.S. communities for years.
Worse yet, families of affected clergy could also be forced to leave, potentially uprooting children from schools, disrupting community support networks, and causing long-term emotional distress.
Immigration law experts argue that these disruptions, while legally technical, have broad human consequences.
“We’re talking about people who are deeply embedded in their communities,” said Lahoud. “These are not transient workers—they are spiritual anchors for entire congregations.”
Call for Action and Broader Implications
Advocates see this legislative effort as a rare opportunity for bipartisan cooperation in an otherwise gridlocked immigration landscape. The bill is narrowly tailored, cost-neutral, and aligned with America’s long tradition of religious freedom and community service.
Religious groups, immigration lawyers, and civil society leaders are now urging lawmakers to prioritize the bill before the end of the current congressional session.
For updates and additional details on the immigration status of religious workers, readers can visit USCIS.gov or consult legal professionals affiliated with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Conclusion: Immigration Reform with a Human Face
The fate of thousands of foreign-born clergy now rests in the hands of Congress. In a political climate often characterized by gridlock and division, the proposed legislation offers a focused, humane response to a highly specific problem—one with far-reaching implications for religious freedom, community cohesion, and moral leadership in America.
Whether this effort will result in legislative change remains uncertain. But for the faith leaders who minister in the country’s most underserved regions, the hope is clear: that compassion and common sense will guide the path forward.
Dear Family and Friends,
We wish to express our deepest and most sincere gratitude for your overwhelming support throughout this difficult journey of laying to rest our beloved Njau Waira.
Thank you for your financial and material contributions, prayers, calls, messages, and, most importantly, your presence during the funeral arrangements, the wake, the memorial and the finally the burial. Your generosity and commitment made it possible for us to meet our target and give Njau the befitting send-off he deserved.
We are truly humbled and grateful for standing with the family every step of the way.
Your love,❤️ support, kindness and presence will forever be remembered.
May God bless you all abundantly and meet you at the point of need, an ever present help in time of trouble. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
From Waira Family.
Diaspora
U.S. Delays 2027 Green Card Lottery Registration as New Rules Add Costs and Passport Requirement
U.S. Delays 2027 Green Card Lottery Registration as New Rules Add Costs and Passport Requirement
WASHINGTON D.C. — Prospective immigrants from Kenya and other eligible African countries are facing an uncertain wait for the next U.S. Diversity Visa lottery after the Department of State delayed the opening of the 2027 registration period and introduced new requirements for applicants.
The State Department has not yet announced the opening or closing dates for DV-2027 registration. It said in November 2025 that it was making changes to the entry process and would announce the registration date “as soon as practicable.” The department also said the delay would not change the visa application period for people selected in the program, which is scheduled to run from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
State Department: Changes to the DV-2027 Entry Period
That means reports that the DV-2027 registration window has already been shortened should be treated with caution. No official registration duration has been published by the State Department as of September 29, 2026.
The delay comes as the department implements two significant changes: a $1 registration fee and a new requirement that most applicants provide information from a valid, unexpired passport and upload a scan of the passport’s biographical and signature page.
New $1 fee for lottery registration
A State Department final rule published in September 2025 established a $1 fee for registering for the Diversity Visa lottery. The department said the charge is intended to shift some of the costs of operating the lottery—including maintaining the electronic entry system, storing data, conducting the randomized selection process and performing security reviews—to people entering the lottery.
Federal Register: Diversity Visa Program Fee
The fee is separate from the visa application fee paid later by people who are selected and proceed with the immigration process.
The department’s subsequent Diversity Visa rule makes clear that the $1 fee will be collected when an entrant submits the lottery registration. No waiver is provided for the registration fee.
Federal Register: DV-2027 Passport Requirement and Entry Changes
Applicants should therefore be cautious about websites or agents claiming to offer an official DV-2027 registration before the State Department announces the registration period. The department’s official Diversity Visa entry instructions state that entries must be submitted electronically during the designated period and that there is only one permitted entry per person.
Passport requirement creates a new hurdle
The more consequential change for many prospective applicants is the passport requirement.
Under a final rule implementing changes for DV-2027, applicants generally must provide information from a valid, unexpired passport and upload a scan of its biographical and signature page when registering. The State Department said the requirement is intended to combat fraudulent and duplicate entries and allow earlier identity verification.
Federal Register: DV-2027 Passport Requirement and Entry Changes
The department acknowledged that obtaining a passport can present financial and logistical difficulties, particularly in countries where passport processing is slow or services are difficult to access.
Its regulatory analysis estimated that obtaining and supplying the passport information would add time and costs for applicants. The department estimated the average passport cost across eligible countries at $74.43, while also noting that actual costs and additional expenses vary by country.
The rule contains limited exemptions, including certain stateless applicants, some nationals of Communist-controlled countries who cannot obtain passports from their governments, and people covered by specified government-approved waivers. Applicants seeking an exemption must provide supporting evidence.
The State Department has said the passport rule will apply globally rather than specifically targeting African applicants. It nevertheless acknowledged that people without passports could be deterred from entering the program.
Kenya remains an eligible country
Kenyan-born applicants have been among the beneficiaries of the Diversity Visa program in recent years.
Kenya was listed among the African countries eligible for DV-2026, while Nigeria was among the countries excluded from that year’s program because of the statutory high-admission formula.
State Department: DV-2026 Instructions
The State Department selected 3,949 Kenyan entrants for DV-2026. The figure includes selected entrants and their eligible derivatives and does not mean that all of those people ultimately received visas.
State Department: DV-2026 Selected Entrants
Other African countries also recorded substantial numbers of DV-2026 selectees, including Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon, Morocco, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana.
Eligibility for DV-2027, however, must be confirmed against the official instructions when they are issued. A country’s eligibility can change from one program year to another under the statutory formula.
What applicants should expect
For now, the most important fact for prospective DV-2027 applicants is that there is no confirmed registration deadline to work toward.
The State Department has said it will publish the registration dates and the date on which DV-2027 selection results will become available through the Electronic Diversity Visa system.
State Department: Changes to the DV-2027 Entry Period
Once registration opens, applicants will have to comply with the new requirements, including the $1 payment and, in most cases, submission of valid passport information and a passport scan.
The official State Department DV entry guidance remains the appropriate source for registration instructions. The department says the registration system does not become active until the officially specified date and warns applicants to retain their confirmation number after submitting an entry.
The Federal Register rule on passport requirements provides the legal details of the new DV-2027 entry requirements, while the State Department’s DV-2027 announcement is the authoritative source for the delayed registration schedule.
A separate issue for current DV applicants
The DV-2027 delay is occurring alongside continuing uncertainty for people selected in the previous lottery.
In August 2026, the State Department announced that it was again pausing issuance of Diversity Visas while reviewing screening and vetting procedures. The department said applicants could continue submitting applications and attending interviews, but that no Diversity Visas would be issued while the pause was in effect.
State Department: Diversity Visa Issuance Guidance
That development concerns DV-2026 selectees, rather than people waiting to register for DV-2027, and should not be conflated with the delayed registration schedule.
For prospective applicants in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa, the immediate task is therefore preparation rather than rushing to meet an unannounced deadline. The registration dates, eligible-country list and complete DV-2027 instructions must come from the State Department before applicants can know the precise requirements and timeframe.
KIRINYAGA, Kenya — Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango has denied any involvement in a viral controversy surrounding women’s underwear bearing his name and the branding of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
The controversy gained momentum this week after photographs and videos of the items circulated widely on social media, with some reports linking the merchandise to Murango’s political activities.
Murango has, however, rejected the claims, saying he neither authorised nor participated in the production, purchase or distribution of the items.
According to The Star, the senator’s lawyers, Sakimpa & Partners Advocates, issued a demand for corrections and retractions from media outlets that linked him to the merchandise.
The lawyers said Murango did not print, procure, purchase, supply or distribute the underwear and had not authorised the use of his name or NGAAF branding.
The legal response followed the circulation of videos and photographs that sparked intense discussion online and in Kirinyaga.
Njeri Maina Also Distances Herself
Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has also denied involvement in the distribution of the controversial items.
Maina has called for people allegedly using the names of political leaders without authorisation to be reported to the police.
In a report published on September 27, The Star reported that Maina urged residents to report individuals distributing items while claiming they originated from political leaders’ offices.
The controversy has also drawn attention to the use of NGAAF branding. The fund is associated with the office of the Woman Representative, making the appearance of the branding on the merchandise another point of contention.
At this stage, public reports have not established who commissioned or distributed the underwear.
Controversy Comes Ahead of 2027
The dispute comes as political activity in Kirinyaga begins to intensify ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Murango is positioning himself for the Kirinyaga gubernatorial contest, with the political landscape in the county expected to become increasingly competitive following Governor Anne Waiguru’s decision not to seek another term.
The Star reported earlier this month that Waiguru’s planned exit has opened the field for politicians seeking to succeed her.
The underwear controversy has consequently generated additional political attention, particularly because Murango’s name appears on the merchandise.
However, the senator’s denial means that the circumstances surrounding the production and distribution of the items remain disputed.
For now, Murango maintains that he had no role in the campaign merchandise and has threatened further legal and regulatory action against publications that continue to associate him with the items.
The unfolding dispute is likely to remain a talking point in Kirinyaga as political campaigns and public mobilisation gather pace ahead of the 2027 elections.
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