Lutheran Family Services is the largest resettlement agency in Nebraska, which resettled refugees since 1975. During FY2025, LFS resettled 373 refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) in communities throughout Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Changes To the Resettlement and Placement
Lutheran Family Services (LFS) has been providing Reception and Placement services, which provide “core resettlement services” to newcomers, supporting their self-sufficiency and long-term integration. The Reception and Placement program is part of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This U.S. government initiative identifies refugees who are of humanitarian concern and assists them in resettlement. It sets annual refugee admission levels and processing priorities and involves multiple government agencies and partners to review and admit eligible refugees for resettlement in the U.S.
On September 30, 2025, a Presidential Proclamation shifted responsibility for domestic resettlement from the U.S. Department of State to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a result, the Reception and Placement program–managed over 40 years by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)–was replaced by a new program administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This new program is called the Program for Initial Resettlement (PIR).
In October 2025, a Presidential Determination set the refugee admissions ceiling at a historic low of 7,500 refugees nationwide. Under this determination, LFS is approved to resettle 217 refugees through the end of FY206.
Resettlement Core Services
Our R & I core services help newly arrived refugees settle into their community by providing safe housing with essential furniture, culturally appropriate meals, and transportation from the airport to their home.
These services include arranging safe and sanitary housing and setting up the home with basic furniture and supplies, providing sufficient food and a culturally appropriate welcome meal, and meeting newcomers at the airport and transporting them to their housing.
Core services also cover:
- Seasonally appropriate clothing
- Applying for Social Security cards and public benefits
- Enrolling adults in English Language Training and employment services
- Enrolling children in school.
- Cultural orientation and assessment
- Health screenings and immunizations
- Transportation to key appointments
- Selective Service registration (when applicable),
- Address updates (AR‑11), and collaboration on a service plan and family budget
- All of these services are designed to promote early stability, self‑sufficiency, and long‑term integration.
- Secure Permanent Housing
- Assist with Driver’s License of State ID (as appropriate)
