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.
Biden Administration Reopens Protection Program for At-Risk Central American Children
The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced recently that they will be accepting new applications for the Central American Minors (CAM) Program, created to process immigrant children into the United States in a humane and efficient manner. This announcement is part of the agencies’ plan to reopen and… Read More
Coalition Letter Urges Biden Administration to Uphold Commitment to Create a Humane Immigration System
The American Immigration Council joined 38 other civil rights organizations in urging President Biden to live up to his administration’s commitment to a humane and just immigration policy. The letter urges the administration to stop violating the rights of asylum seekers. It… Read More
Del Rio Migrant Camp Shows How Biden Administration Is Not Living Up to Its Promises
Roughly 14,000 Haitians arrived at the border across from Del Rio, Texas in mid-September and walked across the Rio Grande to seek asylum. Many first left Haiti in 2010 following a devastating earthquake that killed over 100,000 people and have been pushed from country to country ever since. Read More
Kenyan Refugees Shares Story of Immigrating to Reno
Eugene Nduwimana Refugee Eugene Nduwiwana shares the story of his family’s emigration from Kenya to the United States: I learned that Reno would be my new home 30 days before my flight was scheduled to leave Nairobi, Kenya. In fact, I didn’t even know that I, my wife and two… Read More
New Americans in Washoe County
New research from New American Economy underscores the critical role immigrants in Washoe County play in the community’s labor force, both as workers in critical industries and as entrepreneurs. The new report, New Americans in Washoe County, was prepared in partnership with the Northern Nevada International Center,… Read More
South Asian Couple with Refugee Roots Starts Elder Care Service Business in Minnesota
Souk & Youa HerOwners of Elder Care Day Services Souk and Youa Her are high-school sweethearts who bonded over their families’ shared background as Hmong refugees: Souk was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, while Youa was born in America soon after her parents left a Laotian refugee… Read More
Congolese Refugee Helps Others Plan for Their Future in Washtenaw County
Deborah NganduRelationship Banker In 2011 Deborah Ngandu accompanied her husband, Alain, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the U.S., where he was pursuing his master’s degree in clinical research at Mayo Clinic Graduate School. They had planned to return home, but in 2012 everything changed. That year, Alain’s… Read More
Turning Back Asylum Seekers is Against the Law, Court Finds
A federal court concluded Thursday that the U.S. government’s turning back of asylum seekers at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border—primarily through a practice called metering—not only violates U.S. law, but also is unconstitutional. Before the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and Title 42, U.S. Customs and Border… Read More
Court Says Turnbacks of Tens of Thousands of Asylum Seekers Are Unlawful
A federal judge declared unlawful the U.S. government’s turnbacks of asylum seekers arriving at ports of entry along the U.S southern border. The court ruled that the United States is required by law to inspect and process asylum seekers when they present themselves at ports of entry, and condemned the practice of denying access to the asylum process through metering and similar practices. Read More
Immigrant Rights Advocates Urge Court to Permanently End Trump-Era Policy that Turned Back Tens of Thousands of Asylum Seekers
Immigrant rights advocates released a statement after presenting oral arguments before U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California, where they urged the court to declare unlawful and permanently end the Trump-era turnback policy. Read More
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