For much of 2020, U.S. authorities turned away all asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border, including both families arriving together and unaccompanied children. The prior Administration attempted to justify the restrictions by a novel invocation of Title 42 of the United States Code, which grants a weak form of quarantine power to the Centers […]
Author: USCRI
Far Too Socially Distant: Trafficking in Persons Policy Responses for Governments in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
There are few places on earth nor facets of human life that the COVID-19 pandemic has not touched. From the empty, ghost town-like streets of Toronto’s financial district to the shuttered kibbeling stands in the Grote Markt of Amsterdam to the world’s largest airport, Beijing Daxing International, now quiet with its few masked passengers moving […]
The UN Mission in South Sudan is Failing Sexual Assault Victims – USCRI
South Sudan has been marred by widespread sexual violence since its civil war broke out in 2013. Despite the peace agreement that was signed on September 12, 2018, the violence continues. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, referred to as UNMISS, recounted these incidents in its September 2020 situational report. But even while detailing […]
Honoring the Legacy of Barbara Harrell-Bond
My interview with Angelina of Hope Restoration South Sudan was inspired by the work of Barbara Harrell-Bond, a pioneer in refugee rights and an original critic of the work of the United Nations. Barbara’s work with refugees began with the arrival of Hungarian refugees in the United States in the 1950s, and continued with her […]
A Tragic Journey
This heartbreaking story is typical of the stories we hear from immigrants who have fled their homes in Central America and made it to the United States. Trigger Warning: violence, sexual abuse Jareth and his 11-year old daughter Noemi lived peacefully in a small city in Honduras. He worked the overnight shift at a bakery […]
Crossroads Youth Mentoring Program
Assia Hamana and Alice Urban moved to Vermont at about the same time, but each came from very different worlds. Alice relocated from Washington, D.C. for a job in international development, and Assia arrived at the age of 13 from Chad as a refugee with her mother, father, brother, and sister. Since meeting through USCRI […]
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Backgrounder: Mauritania
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) presents the following backgrounder on the humanitarian crises in Mauritania as of March 10, 2021. Information and maps are from various sources and not the original work of USCRI. Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, and only criminalized the practice in 2007. […]
NorthPoint Church Co-Sponsors Family Resettled by USCRI Des Moines
For Johnston-based NorthPoint Church, hospitality and welcoming the stranger are core values. The church co-sponsored its second family this month – mom, dad and five children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The scene at the airport was jubilant, as they reunited with two adult children previously resettled by USCRI Des Moines. Says NorthPoint […]
Beds for Refugees Fundraiser – U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
This spring we are gearing up to welcome large numbers of refugee arrivals. President Biden has pledged to raise the number of refugees admitted to the United States from 15,000 to 62,500 this year, and to 125,000 for the new fiscal year starting October 1st. We know this will be a big task, especially with […]
Congratulations to Monica on becoming a US Citizen!
Monica came to the United States as a young girl and obtained DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) when it became available. In February of 2016, she married her husband and they came to USCRI in March 2017 to petition for permanent residence status for Monica. That application was approved and Monica joyously received her […]
