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.
Resettled Refugees Contribute Millions to Wisconsin Economy
Since it first opened its doors in 2012, the Christian nonprofit World Relief Fox Valley has resettled 700 refugees in Appleton and Oshkosh, in Wisconsin. “The communities have been supportive, and anyone who doesn’t support the mission doesn’t understand the program or who refugees are,” says the organization’s director, Tami… Read More
Retired Teacher Now Teaches Refugees, to Town’s Benefit
Nearly 10 years ago, when Dr. Lois Todd-Meyer was a high school English teacher, one student in particular left an impression. “She’s what would today be called a Dreamer,” Todd-Meyer recalls. The student, brought to the United States at a very young age, was determined to become a doctor. But… Read More
America’s Treatment of Asylum Seekers Reviewed by Regional Human Rights Body
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard testimony today about policies that prevent access to the U.S. asylum process for those fleeing grave danger in their home countries. U.S. law guarantees the right to seek asylum to all who flee persecution and arrive at our border looking for protection. Read More
Travel Ban 2.0 Halted by Two District Judges
The Trump administration has failed in its attempt to rewrite the executive order banning individuals from targeted Muslim-majority nations in order to pass legal muster. On the eve of the new order taking effect, two district judges have shut it down. The first nationwide order was issued by… Read More
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
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