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.
Government Agrees to Give Some Separated Families A Second Chance to Seek Asylum
In a tentative partial settlement agreement reached with lawyers representing parents and children who were separated as a result of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, the government has agreed to give thousands of parents and children a second chance to seek… Read More
Trump Administration Proposes Regulations in ‘Flores’ to Detain Migrant Children Longer in Unsafe Conditions
The Trump administration is proposing new regulations to indefinitely detain immigrant children at the border and keep them in unsafe conditions, creating a false choice between separating families or detaining children indefinitely. This misguided effort would continue the administration’s pattern of inflicting needless suffering on asylum-seeking children. The Flores… Read More
American Immigration Council Condemns Administration’s Proposal to Indefinitely Detain Children
The Trump administration proposed new regulations that could lead to the indefinite detention—and needless suffering—of asylum-seeking children. Read More
Court Allows Lawsuit Challenging CBP’s Practice of Turning Away Asylum Seekers to Proceed
In a blow to the Trump administration, a federal court in California recently allowed a class action lawsuit to move forward challenging U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) practice of turning away asylum seekers at the border. The lawsuit, Al Otro Lado v. Nielsen, was brought in 2017 by… Read More
Naturalized Citizen from Somalia Employs 50 in Minneapolis Restaurants
Abdirahman Kahin came to the United States in 1996 seeking asylum from Somalia. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur and the owner of Afro Deli, a fast-casual restaurant that serves a fusion of African, Mediterranean, and American food, with two locations in Minneapolis. He also co-owns Campus Cafe, a Turkish… Read More
Iranian Refugee Seeks Ways to Give Back to Her Adoptive Community
When Islamic revolutionaries overthrew the Shah of Iran in 1979, members of the Baha’i faith once again faced persecution. On a single night in December, 500 Baha’i homes were burned to the ground. One belonged to the family of Parivash Rohani, an 18-year-old girl preparing for college. “My parents were… Read More
Rwandan Refugee Expands Immigrant-Focused Newspaper into Buffalo-Based Non-Profit
Shortly after Rwandan refugee Rubens Mukunzi began publishing a newspaper about immigrant and refugee life, he got a visit from the Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash. “He was very excited to have the newspaper, Karibu News, as a voice for refugees and immigrants in Buffalo Public Schools,”… Read More
Asylum Seekers Challenge Spending Months Locked Up Without Interviews or Bond Hearings
Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched its “zero tolerance” policy, aimed at punishing immigrants, including asylum seekers, who enter the United States without authorization. Among its many inhumane effects, this policy is leaving asylum seekers to languish in detention for weeks or months without… Read More
Government Coerced Parents into Signing Their Rights Away Before Being Reunited with Their Children
In all the chaos of family separation, another disturbing detail has come to light: immigration officials may have coerced vulnerable parents into signing away their right to be reunified with their children. In a complaint filed on Thursday with the DHS Office of Civil Rights and… Read More
Complaint Details Coercive Tactics Used by Immigration Officials on Separated Parents
The complaint points to numerous examples, including that of Mrs. D.P., who was separated from her 9-year-old daughter for 47 days as a result of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' "zero-tolerance" border policy. Read More
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No one should face the immigration system alone
