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.
California Judge Blocks Implementation of Trump’s New Asylum Rule
A federal judge in California blocked the implementation of a new rule yesterday that would have prevented most immigrants who arrive at the U.S. southern land border from qualifying for asylum in the United States. This decision came just hours after a D.C. court ruled in the opposite direction. The… Read More
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump Administration’s Efforts to Deny Bond Hearings to Asylum Seekers
A federal appeals court ruled that asylum seekers must continue to receive bond hearings while the court considers the Trump administration’s appeal to deny bond hearings with procedural protections to asylum seekers. Read More
Attempts to Restrict Asylum in the U.S. Betray America’s Legacy
The Trump administration announced a new rule that would bar many individuals seeking protection in the United States from being able to apply for asylum. The American Immigration Council believes we should not be afraid to embrace our humanitarian obligations in a way that respects the rule of law. Read More
Certain Detained Asylum Seekers Must Receive a Bond Hearing Within 7 Days, Despite Trump Administration’s Efforts
Attorney General William Barr announced in April 2019 plans to eliminate bond hearings for immigrants who pass an asylum screening interview after entering the United States. This would have forced many people to remain incarcerated for months or years during their asylum proceedings. However, on Tuesday, a federal court recognized… Read More
Federal Court Blocks Trump Administration Policy of Arbitrarily Jailing Asylum-Seekers
A federal court has blocked a Trump administration policy that categorically denies bond hearings to asylum-seekers. The policy, announced April 16 by Attorney General William Barr, targeted asylum-seekers whom immigration officers previously determined have a “credible fear” of persecution or torture if returned to the places they fled. The American Immigration Council, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and American Civil Liberties Union challenged the policy with the lawsuit Padilla v. ICE. Read More
The Government Ended an Effective and Less Costly Alternative to Immigration Detention
Case management isn’t necessarily something you would think of in relation to the U.S. immigration system, but a few years ago—for the first time in more than a decade—officials chose to invest in a model of individualized case management to support families seeking protection in the United States – and… Read More
Utica Observer Dispatch Guest View: Trump could learn from Utica’s refugees
When my family came to Utica as Jewish refugees from Ukraine, I never dreamed I’d become an entrepreneur. Back then, in 1997, I was a 12-year-old kid who assumed I’d become an engineer like my father and my grandfather. But after we arrived, I became inspired by the… Read More
Chicago Tribune Commentary: I helped refugees in Iraq. Now I’m a refugee working in the U.S.
As an aid worker in Iraq, I worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United Nations to help Syrian refugees fleeing the Islamic State. Now, I’m an immigrant myself, building a new life in Chicago and contributing to my new home as an administrator at a… Read More
World Refugee Day Reminders Us That We Must Do Better
World Refugee Day serves as a reminder that as a nation we must do better to protect those who are fleeing harm. Read More
Greensboro News & Record: Save TPS, and keep North Carolina families together
As the summer begins, most freshmen at Wake Technical Community College are happily looking forward to home-cooked meals and time with their families. For me, though, the vacation will be anything but carefree. My parents are immigrants, and while they’ve played by the rules since coming here more than… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
