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Where Do Refugees Settle in the United States? FOIA Documents Reveal Where Refugees Arrive and Their Demographic Data
Where do refugees settle upon arrival in the United States? As the global displacement crisis evolves, the factors driving individuals from their homes—violence, conflict, and even climate change—continue to change along with it. On June 26, the American Immigration Council released a tool based on demographic data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) […]
Read MoreYoung Poet Wins 2025 Creative Writing Award, Paying Tribute to Refugees
WASHINGTON, DC, June 24, 2025—The American Immigration Council honored Luu Ly, an 11-year-old attending the Chapin School in New York City, with its 28th annual Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest award, which honors the immigrant experience. Luu’s poem, “American Poem,” narrates her grandparents’ escape from Vietnam during the war, describing how they settled down as […]
Read MoreThe Council Received Data on City-Level Refugee Resettlement From the Department of State
Background Through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the United States accepts tens of thousands of refugees each year. Before coming to the United States as refugees, individuals undergo a long and arduous process: they must prove they either have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution based on their political opinion, race, nationality, […]
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The facts on immigration — right in your inbox. Want to keep your fingers on the pulse of the immigration debate? Sign up with the American Immigration Council to receive the latest in immigration law and policy as well as opportunities and resources to educate the public about the value of immigration to American society. […]
Read MoreAt Graduation Time, ICE Targets Young Dreamers
As young people and their families are celebrating graduations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been ramping up enforcement across the country. One new tactic: arresting teenage students. Marcelo, a member of his high school volleyball team and the school band, who has attended Milford, Massachusetts schools since he was 7. Ximena, a 19-year-old […]
Read MoreAmerican Moves to Pittsburgh from Peru, Finds Value in Supporting Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Although born in Fargo, North Dakota, Brent Rondon has experienced first-hand the obstacles of coming to the United States, learning a new language, and finding your place in a new community. Rondon and his twin brother spent most of their early lives in their parents’ native Peru where the family moved when Rondon was 5 […]
Read MoreIndian Immigrant Entrepreneurs Find Success in Kent County
When Sonal and Ramesh Patel built a house in the town of Cascade in 2011, they quickly noticed something missing: an Asian grocer on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. The Patels are from a small town in Gujarat, a state in western India. They moved to West Michigan in 2004, when Ramesh was hired by a […]
Read MorePresident Trump’s New Travel Ban: What You Need to Know
Eight years ago, President Trump made history by invoking an obscure authority, section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, to “suspend the entry” of nationals of multiple Muslim-majority nations. After two versions of the ban were initially struck down in court, the Supreme Court upheld a third version, which remained in effect until President […]
Read MoreDepartment of State Pauses Visa Interview for J, F, and M visitors
On Tuesday, May 27, the international exchange and education community was dealt yet another blow when the Trump administration temporarily paused scheduling new F, M, and J visa appointments.??Politico?reported?that a cable sent to all embassies and consular posts by Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for consular sections to “not add any additional student or […]
Read MoreTexas Dream Act Survives—Because Texans Showed Up
In a legislative session marked by political division and increasingly polarized rhetoric, the Texas Dream Act endured. The win affirms that all Texas high school graduates—regardless of immigration status—will continue to have access to higher education. Despite nine separate bills filed to repeal this landmark 2001 law—including HB 232 and SB 1798—not a single one […]
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