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.
Rwandan’s Successful Kids Are America’s Gain
For Rwandan native Judith Mukaruziga, home is a central part of life. As a real estate agent in State College, Pennsylvania, Mukaruziga takes great satisfaction in helping clients find just the right house. But her greatest sense of meaning comes from building a loving, stable home with her husband and… Read More
Second “Muslim Ban” Meets Renewed Litigation
In the week following President Trump’s issuance of a second travel ban targeting six Muslim-majority countries, several states and a number of immigrant rights groups immediately returned to federal courts throughout the country to urge that this ban, like the first, be enjoined. Trump’s initial Muslim travel ban, an… Read More
Immigrant Children Bear the Anxiety of Political Tough Talk
At Public School 78 in Staten Island, New York, Community School Director Maria Brancale has been seeing a lot of empty chairs lately. Half of the school’s students come from immigrant families, and ever since the federal crackdown on immigration she has seen a sharp drop in attendance among parents… Read More
ESL Students — and Immigrant Families — Excel in Kentucky
Roughly 14 percent of students in Kentucky’s Bowling Green Independent School District are immigrants or refugees, a statistic associate superintendent Vicki Writsel is particularly proud of. “It serves our students well that our school district is so diverse,” she says. “When they graduate, they are prepared to work with people… Read More
Refugees Learn English — Then Buoy Kentucky Economy
It’s been four decades since Skip Cleavinger moved to Bowling Green to study at Western Kentucky University, and in that time he has witnessed a significant shift in the demographics of west-central Kentucky. A local refugee resettlement program and a livable community — with job opportunities, strong schools, and a… Read More
President Trump to Replace Travel Ban Executive Order
President Trump re-issued his immigration executive order on Monday that halts all refugee admissions for at least 120 days and bans entry into the United States for nationals of six Muslim-majority countries. Those targeted by the previous version of the executive order are largely unchanged, except that Iraq was removed… Read More
Iranian Refugee Fills In-Demand Role in U.S. Workforce
When Iranian refugee Muhsin Kazemipour stepped into his first accounting class at Amarillo College, he knew it was a good fit. “I saw my classmates struggling through the class, and I really enjoyed it. It was like a fun puzzle to fix. After the first semester of those classes, I… Read More
Afghan Entrepreneur is Behind one of Maryland’s Most Successful Technology Startups
Haroon Mokhtarzada knows all too well what it’s like to start over. When he was just 3 years old, his parents fled the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, ultimately moving their family to the United States as political refugees. Although his family was quite well off back home, the war… Read More
Retiree to Immigrants: Prescott, Arizona, is ‘Everybody’s Home Town’
Every Friday in Prescott, Arizona, retiree Dennis Duvall stands in the town center holding an 8-foot-long red banner that proclaims “Immigrants and Refugees Are Welcome.” “Immigration has been a big issue here in Arizona,” Duvall explains. “Because of our border here with Mexico, it has been virtually divisive. Arizona is… Read More
Syrian Biotech Grad Ready to Aid U.S. Cancer Research
When Alnairouz “Nairouz” K. first arrived in America to study biotechnology and genetics at West Virginia State University, the transition was hard. Her family remained behind in Syria, and Nairouz struggled to adapt. “When I came here, everyone spoke English with a different accent, and they spoke very fast,” she… Read More
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