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.
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
Rubin: Refugees up, crime down in Southfield, elsewhere
Southfield has embraced 4,478 refugees across a 10-year span, and in that same period, its rates of violent crime and property crime have plummeted. No one is claiming a cause and effect. Across the same decade, from 2006-15, Southfield most likely embraced more cellphones and Netflix memberships, too. What’s interesting… Read More
Do refugees make U.S. cities safer? Some (limited) research says yes
Is there a link between crime rates and refugee resettlement in the U.S.? One group’s research suggests there is–a beneficial one, and that one Michigan city has benefited the most. The research is from a group called Partnership for a New American Economy. It’s a nationwide group of mayors and businesspeople… Read More
Is there a Link Between Refugees and U.S. Crime Rates?
When a large number of refugees arrive in a given city, does crime rise in subsequent years? It’s a question obviously relevant to many current debates, both in the United States and in Europe. And one many policymakers are focused on now. To examine this issue, we used refugee resettlement… Read More
Statement on Executive Order on Refugees and Muslim Admissions
These actions will isolate America and make us all party to blatant and bigoted religious targeting. These actions also ignore the multi-layered processes the government already uses to screen and vet those seeking entry to the U.S., whether as a refugee, on a tourist visa, or another visa permitting entry. Read More
Asylum Seekers Illegally Turned Away by Customs and Border Protection
For many months, lawyers and advocates have received damning reports from asylum-seeking families, adults, and even unaccompanied minors fleeing Mexico and Central America who have been systematically turned away by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents along the U.S.-Mexico border, from San Ysidro, CA to Brownsville, TX. The Washington… Read More
Complaint Filed as Customs and Border Protection Turns Away Asylum Seekers
A coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, last Friday and the Office of Inspector General, on behalf of numerous adult men and women, families and unaccompanied children who, over the past several months, were denied entry to the United States at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Read More
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