The Church has instructed its service missionaries they can assist immigrants with practical needs but not with immigration legal matters, according to a Mormon Land podcast episode featuring longtime inner-city missionaries Linda and Scott Howell.

The Howells, who served for more than a decade in urban areas, discuss the policy's effect on their work helping immigrant families navigate daily challenges while avoiding involvement in legal status questions. They describe the rewards and difficulties of serving in communities with significant immigrant populations under these constraints.

The restriction reflects the Church's careful positioning on immigration issues, where it has advocated for compassionate treatment of immigrants while avoiding direct legal aid that could put the institution or its volunteers at risk.