Refugee Status

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

Recent Features

  • FOIA

Investigating USCIS’ Implementation of Humanitarian Parole and Refugee Processing for Afghan Nationals

Records to clarify why Afghans face such significant delays in humanitarian parole and refugee processing are necessary.

All Refugee Status Content

  • Blog

DHS Can’t Enforce Its Way Out of a Refugee Crisis

February 4, 2016

There are two competing narratives being spun about the Obama Administration’s response to the “surge” of refugees from Central America who are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, and each of...

  • Blog

Deportation of Central American Refugees Is Inhumane

January 7, 2016

At one level, it should come as no surprise that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken into custody and intends to deport 121 unauthorized immigrants who fled violence in Central...

  • Blog

America Offered Them Protection and They Became Part of America

December 22, 2015

In 2015, displaced people around the world faced incredible challenges. The well-being of refugees and the policy decisions affecting them are still at the forefront of many people’s minds. Some...

  • Blog

Giving the Immigration Facts a Fighting Chance

December 14, 2015

As we move through the 2016 presidential election cycle, the issue of immigration will continue to be a central topic of the debate. The United States is at a tipping point after more than two...

  • Blog

Efforts to Pass Anti-Refugee Legislation Slows

December 7, 2015

In the days after the Paris attacks, fear took hold of many across the United States, and some politicians proposed shutting our doors to refugees, particularly those from Syria and Iraq. This...

  • Blog

Texas Sues Federal Government Again, This Time Over Refugees

December 4, 2015

This week, Texas filed a lawsuit against the federal government and International Rescue Committee (IRC) to prevent the resettlement of a Syrian refugee family in the state. The family was...

  • Blog

Talking Turkey on Immigration 2015

November 25, 2015

Today, I have the pleasure of following in the footsteps of Mary Giovagnoli, who, during her five years at the American Immigration Council, entertained and enlightened us with her annual blog...

  • Blog

Congress Continues its Knee-Jerk Reaction to Paris Attacks

November 19, 2015

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, the “American Safe Act of 2015” by a vote of 289 to 137, with 47 Democrats and all but two Republicans supporting the bill. This comes less...

  • Blog

Refugees Should Not Pay the Price for Paris Attack

November 16, 2015

The attacks that took place in Paris just days ago sadly reflect the volatile times in which we live. The horror we witnessed was quickly followed by national mourning and an outpouring of...

  • Blog

The Growing African Immigrant Population in the United States

November 4, 2015

Much is said and written about the immigrant population in the United States. However, most work focuses on immigrant populations from Latin America and Asia. Fortunately, the Pew Research Center...

  • Blog

As Global Refugee Crisis Grows, America Must Do Her Part

June 20, 2017

  Each year on June 20, people around the world recognize the plight, resilience, and courage of those who have been forced to flee their homes. This World Refugee Day comes at a time when record...

  • Blog

Travel Ban 2.0 Halted by Two District Judges

March 16, 2017

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...

  • Blog

Second “Muslim Ban” Meets Renewed Litigation

March 13, 2017

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...

  • Blog

President Trump to Replace Travel Ban Executive Order

March 6, 2017

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-...

  • Press Release

Statement on Executive Order on Refugees and Muslim Admissions

January 27, 2017
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.
  • Blog

El Salvador’s Gang Violence is Forcing Thousands to Flee

October 21, 2016

In the event that there was any doubt, women and children from Central America’s Northern Triangle—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—are fleeing the same horrific conditions that were driving...

  • Blog

Using Job and Educational Opportunities to Resettle Refugees

October 17, 2016

The UNHCR estimates that worldwide there were over 65 million refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people who fled conflict, violence, and human rights violations in 2015. On average...

  • Blog

Conservative Governors Defy Tradition and Abdicate Responsibility for Resettling Refugees

October 12, 2016

The United States plays an important role in protecting thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people and is one of 33 countries that resettles refugees. Our long-held legal and moral...

  • Blog

Government Officials Explain Extensive Refugee Vetting Process in Hearing

September 15, 2016

Following the 15th anniversary of the tragic attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress is renewing its efforts to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again on U.S. soil. This was the message...

  • Blog

Why 22 Mothers Are On a Hunger Strike at the Berks Family Detention Facility

August 15, 2016

In protest of their families’ ongoing and prolonged detention in the Berks County Residential Center, a group of mothers began a hunger strike on Monday, August 8. They penned a letter to...

Most Read

  • Publications
  • Blog Posts
  • Past:
  • Trending