We prove a non-vanishing result for families of $\operatorname{GL}_n\times\operatorname{GL}_n$ Rankin-Selberg $L$-functions in the critical strip, as one factor runs over twists by Hecke characters. As an application, we simplify the proof, due to Luo, Rudnick, and Sarnak, of the best known bounds towards the Generalized Ramanujan Conjecture at the infinite places for cusp forms on $\operatorname{GL}_n$. A key ingredient is the regularization of the units in residue classes by the use of an Arakelov ray class group.

Let $\Gamma$ be a rank-one arithmetic subgroup of a semisimple Lie group~$G$. For fixed $K$-Type, the spectral side of the Selberg trace formula defines a distribution on the space of infinitesimal characters of~$G$, whose discrete part encodes the dimensions of the spaces of square-integrable $\Gamma$-automorphic forms. It is shown that this distribution converges to the Plancherel measure of $G$ when $\Ga$ shrinks to the trivial group in a certain restricted way. The analogous assertion for cocompact lattices $\Gamma$ follows from results of DeGeorge-Wallach and Delorme.