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.
President Trump Lies to the American Public About Asylum Seekers
On Thursday, President Donald Trump declared his administration would be taking drastic steps to prevent asylum seekers from coming to the United States. In a rambling speech filled with false and unverifiable claims, the president declared that he intended to detain thousands… Read More
Trump’s Midterm Promise: Migrant Children in Tent Cities and No Asylum
Five days before the midterm elections, President Trump vowed to build “massive tent cities” for families and restrict access to the asylum process. During Thursday’s announcement, Trump outlined his plans to expand the use of detention in order to hold children and mothers and to turn… Read More
Massacre at Pittsburgh Synagogue Tied to Anti-Refugee Sentiment
In a world of instantaneous news, the nation learned of the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday in Pittsburgh almost in real time. As the details emerged, we discovered that 11 Jewish worshippers had been murdered by Robert Bowers, a self-described anti-Semite with a… Read More
The Nobel Prize Winners Show the Power of Welcoming Newcomers
When people feel welcomed into a community, great things often happen that benefit the receiving community and even the nation. When newcomers feel accepted and included in a society, it provides them the best shot at harnessing talents they may have otherwise been unable to recognize… Read More
5 Ways to Prevent the Next Migrant Caravan
Just two weeks ahead of the midterm elections, much attention is being placed on a migrant caravan of Central Americans making their way north through Mexico. Now reported to include more than 7,000 people, the mostly Honduran group is seeking protection from pervasive violence at home. Even though the… Read More
Will the Trump Administration Begin Family Separations Again?
The horrifying and tragic legacy of the Trump administration’s family separation policy—which allegedly ended by executive order in June this summer—is far from over. Even with many children still waiting to be reunited with their parents, the administration is considering resuming family separations once again. Nearly 250 migrant children… Read More
A Caravan of Migrants Makes Its Way to the US, as Trump Threatens to Close the Border
Thousands of migrants—many of whom are mothers, fathers, and children fleeing their homes in violence-stricken areas of Central America—are traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an impromptu caravan. A majority of the estimated 4,000 migrants left last week from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which has long ranked… Read More
New Court Filing Highlights the Government’s Official “Turnback Policy” for Asylum Seekers
Eight new asylum seekers joined a lawsuit last week that challenges U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials’ widespread and well-documented practice of turning back asylum seekers at U.S. ports of entry (POE) along the U.S.-Mexico border. The plaintiffs also amended the complaint in the lawsuit with new facts… Read More
New Legal Filing Links High-level Trump Officials to Asylum “Turnback Policy”
In a new court filing, asylum seekers and an immigrant rights group are challenging the Trump administration’s policy and practice of turning back asylum seekers at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border Read More
Human Rights Groups Finds More Families Separated Than Originally Reported
A new report alleges that the Trump administration (and partially Obama administration) may have separated thousands more families than previously reported and also details how thousands of asylum seekers have been illegally turned away at the U.S.-Mexico border. Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
