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.
Trump Administration Abruptly Stopped Processing Green Card Applications Filed by Asylees, Refugees. A FOIA Request Seeks Answers
On March 25, news reports surfaced that the Trump administration imposed a suspension in the processing of certain green card applications. The news reports stated that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official confirmed the suspension. The agency said the suspension applied to people who entered the country… Read More
Council and AILA Submit FOIA Request Seeking Information on Trump Administration Suspension of Green Card Applications
On March 25, 2025, media reports surfaced indicating U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the agency in charge of approving green card applications—stopped processing green card applications filed by asylees and refugees. The suspension would affect refugees, which the U.S. government has already… Read More
Expedited Removal Explainer
Expedited removal is a process by which low-level immigration officers can quickly deport certain noncitizens who are undocumented or have committed fraud or misrepresentation. Read More
Trump’s Day 1 Orders Use Fearmongering to Expand His Immigration Authority
On January 20, 2025, the day President Trump took office for his second term, he issued a series of immigration-related executive orders and proclamations that will quickly re-shape the U.S. immigration system. These executive orders affect nearly every facet of a complex and demanding system. Most of the policy… Read More
Statement of the American Immigration Council Submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing on Remain in Mexico
The American Immigration Council submitted a statement for the record for the January 16, 2025, hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on the Remain in Mexico program. Read More
Council Litigation Seeks Refugee Processing Data
This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeks to compel the U.S. Department of State to release data about the demographics, processing, and adjudication of refugees’ applications for admission into the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The United States has long played a leading role in resettling… Read More
Council Lawsuit Challenges USCIS Policies for Withholding Information in Refugee Case Files
This FOIA lawsuit seeks to compel U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to end policies of unlawfully withholding application assessments, interview notes, and other records from refugees’ case files. Read More
The Council Received Data on City-Level Refugee Resettlement From the Department of State
A FOIA request provided demographic data on refugees resettled in the U.S. from October 2017 to December 2024, which the Council used to create a state-level visualization tool showing refugee nationality, age, gender, education, and English proficiency, while protecting individual privacy by redacting data in areas with fewer than 50 resettlements. Read More
Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Asylum Seekers’ Rights to Present at POEs
Ports of entry along our borders are supposed to be where people in need of protection can come to seek humanitarian relief. But since 2016, every presidential administration has used different tactics to turn people away from ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Mexico border before they even get there. Read More
What Is the ‘Bipartisan Border Bill’ and How Would It Change the US Immigration System?
The “bipartisan border bill” has been front and center in the presidential election, but it is often presented to the public without clarity on what the bill would actually do. In May, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced S. 4361, the Border Act of 2024. This bill includes nearly identical… Read More
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