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.
A Guide to Children Arriving at the Border: Laws, Policies and Responses
This Guide provides information about the tens of thousands of children—some travelling with their parents and others alone—who have fled their homes in Central America and arrived at our southern border. Read More
After Coming as a Cuban Refugee, This Entrepreneur Built a $50 Million Business
When the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, Cuban-born entrepreneur José Prendes watched the ensuing chaos carefully. He was trying to determine which e-businesses would survive and why. One that continued advertising with television commercials, he noticed, was 1-800-Pet-Meds. “I thought that it had to be a good business, since amid… Read More
DHS and Immigration Courts Sued Over One-Year Asylum Deadline
Immigration law imposes a one-year deadline, beginning upon arrival in the United States, within which an asylum seeker must apply for asylum. With very limited exceptions, an individual who misses this deadline becomes ineligible for asylum. Even though the clock is ticking for these asylum seekers, DHS agents and officers… Read More
How One Iraqi Refugee is Giving Back to His Newly Adopted American Home
Amer Alfayadh’s life in Iraq was one of privilege. He was educated at the finest schools in Baghdad and earned a degree in engineering. However, in the midst of conflict and war, finding a job proved to be difficult. “There were not many places that I could work because there… Read More
Welcome to Akron: How Immigrants and Refugees are Contributing to Akron’s Economic Growth
The “Welcome to Akron: How Immigrants and Refugees are Contributing to Akron’s Economic Growth” report highlights how immigrants play a critical role in supporting Akron’s growth and development—by starting businesses that create local jobs, participating in key industries in the labor force, paying taxes and contributing to consumer spending, and by increasing housing values in… Read More
Refugees and Immigrants Are of ‘Critical Importance’ to Maine’s Economic Development, Says Lewiston’s Deputy City Administrator
In the 1940s, the economy in Lewiston, Maine, was thriving thanks to a booming textile industry. But when many of those factories began closing in the late 1950s, and the city’s flagship department store, B. Peck & Co. closed in 1981, the jobs and the people who needed… Read More
Vietnamese Refugee Dedicates Her Life to Empowering Women and Girls
“Words just resonate,” says writer, activist and Vietnamese immigrant Chay Douangphouxay. “With the right words, you can either build or break a person.” And so Douangphouxay, who came to the United States as a child refugee and has a full-time job in healthcare development at Target, dedicates all of her… Read More
Former Hotel Executive Says his Chain Couldn’t Have Thrived without the Contributions of Refugee Workers
Tom Negri has worked in hotels his entire life. After graduating from high school, he moved to Colombia for school and work. At the Hotel Irotama in Colombia, he met his future wife. By age 21, while attending the New York Hotel School, Negri was married and working six days… Read More
For This Immigrant & Policy Scholar, Immigration and Education Go Hand in Hand
The distinguished career of Dr. Vichet Chhuon, a thought leader in U.S. education policy, is a direct result of his own multicultural background and his family’s experiences as Cambodian refugees. As an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Chhuon’s work focuses on multicultural education and the experiences of underserved… Read More
University President Once Fled the Communists — Now He Presides Over a Diverse Group of Promising Students
As President of Miami Dade College, Eduardo Padrón presides over 170,000 students, most of whom are immigrants or the children of immigrants, Graduates include mayors, lawyers, police and fire chiefs, and prominent political figures such as U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the first Cuban-American… Read More
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