Refugees and Asylum Seekers
The United States has a longstanding tradition of welcoming individuals from around the world who are seeking protection and refuge. But recent U.S. policy has grown increasingly hostile toward asylum seekers and refugees. Instead of turning vulnerable individuals away, the United States should maintain its global reputation as a leader in refugee resettlement and humanitarian protection. Doing so not only upholds American values but sustains and strengthens our communities. Data from the Council shows that refugees and asylees make tremendous contributions to our economy as earners, taxpayers, and consumers. Learn more about the contributions and challenges of asylum seekers and refugees below.
Iraqi Interpreters Who Risked Their Lives Working With US Military Shut Out by Trump Administration
Iraqi interpreters who risked their lives to work with the American military have been effectively shut out from obtaining the special U.S. visa they were promised. The Trump administration issued only two visas to former Iraqi interpreters last year, according to Department of State data provided… Read More
US Government May Be Illegally Transporting Would-Be Asylum Seekers Back to Danger
Over 2,000 people from Central American who were seeking to live in the United States have reportedly given up and accepted a “free ride” home under a new, controversial program funded by the U.S. government and a United Nations agency. The “Assisted Voluntary Return” (AVR) program… Read More
Trump Administration Slashes Protections for Immigrant Children in Government Custody
The Trump administration announced a new regulation on Wednesday allowing for the indefinite detention of immigrant children. The new regulation will end the Flores Settlement Agreement. Flores is a decades-old agreement created to ensure that immigrant children are held in safe and sanitary conditions while in government custody. Flores also… Read More
Nicaraguan Immigrant Helps Toledo, OH Become Safe and Accessible for All
Meyling Ruiz and her brother were babies when her parents fled their homeland during the Nicaraguan Revolution. It was 1988, and Sandinista soldiers had already taken her 15-year-old cousin to fight for the regime. Civil unrest, food shortages, violence, and murder reigned. “They didn’t know how long that… Read More
Trump’s Latest Asylum Ban Goes Into Effect in Texas and New Mexico
The Trump administration’s latest asylum ban went into effect in New Mexico and Texas—but not California and Arizona—on Friday after a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling amounts to a partial victory for President Trump. While the ban covers the border states outside of the Ninth… Read More
USCIS Announces 7 International Offices Will Remain Open Despite Overall Shutdown
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released more details about its plan to close its international offices. In an August 9 memorandum, USCIS clarified that all but seven of its 23 international offices will be shuttered within the next year. USCIS’s International Operations Division has a diverse mission,… Read More
Rushing Immigration Court Cases Through ‘Rocket Dockets’ Deprives Families of Due Process
In an attempt to rush through immigrant families’ court cases, the government began implementing “rocket dockets” in September 2018 for parents and children who had recently entered the United States together without authorization. The program is intended to discourage Central American families from coming to the United States by quickly… Read More
Attorney General Barr Rolls Back Asylum Protections for Families
Attorney General William Barr issued a decision that significantly restricts the ability of many current asylum seekers to win their cases on Monday. In Matter of L-E-A-, Barr issued a new immigration court decision that says people should generally not be granted asylum if they face persecution because of… Read More
Federal Court Rules that Challenge to Trump’s Asylum Turnback Policy Will Move Forward
A federal district court has rejected the government’s second attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's unlawful turnbacks of asylum seekers who present themselves at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border – including its attempt to choke off asylum applications through a so-called “metering” process. Read More
Why a Safe Third Country Agreement with Guatemala is Unsafe and Unworkable
The Trump administration signed an agreement with Guatemala last Friday that appears to allow the U.S. government to send certain asylum applicants to Guatemala, forcing them to seek asylum there. Framed by the president as a “Safe Third Country” agreement, this move will place thousands of asylum seekers at risk in a country ill-prepared to process a high volume of applications for protection and with safety problems of its own. Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
