USCRI would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations to our board member, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on her appointment to become the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations by President-Elect Joe Biden. USCRI has been honored to have Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield serve on our Board following her long and distinguished career in public service. Her […]
Author: USCRI
The U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | Similar but Unequal
In early August 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced a final rule significantly raising the fees associated with certain immigration and naturalization benefit requests – by a weighted average of around 20 per cent.1 The agency included the decision to charge asylum seekers a $50 […]
USCRI Expands Work to Mexico in Partnership with Habesha Project
ARLINGTON, VA—Today, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants announced its new office that brings critical legal assistance to migrants in the San Diego-Tijuana region. USCRI staff will work on both sides of the US-Mexico border, in partnership with Mexico’s Habesha Project. USCRI’s office will focus on legal aid to help migrants in claims […]
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Refugee Girls’ Education Part II of II: Solutions for Equal Access
Part I of this brief discussed the barriers refugee girls face to continuing their education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The barriers fall into three main categories: financial issues, gendered norms about the value of educating girls, and outright gender-based and sexual violence. Part II focuses on solutions, not only to […]
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Refugee Girls’ Education Part I of II: Barriers to Equal Access
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken 1.6 billion students out of classrooms around the globe. Although students everywhere are struggling to access education during the pandemic, the problem is especially exacerbated for girls. Girls in lower-income countries face unique challenges both in getting to school and in staying enrolled. These challenges include everything from lack of […]
Becoming a Citizen in COVID Times
There were no color guards, singers, judges, or extended family and friends, but USCRI client Fardusa could not have been more proud to have passed the test and become a U.S. citizen! Her journey from war to safety took decades. As a young girl, she and her family had a happy life in Somalia. Then conflict […]
Paying it Back
Below is the story of two refugees, Volodymyr and Philip, whose paths intertwined this year. Their touching story shows how our lives are enriched when we reach out and welcome our new neighbors. Volodymyr and his wife Oleksandra arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Ukraine in December of 2019. “My wife and I are very […]
Moving Forward: Statement by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants on the Election
by Eskinder Negash President and CEO Today, with the election behind us and the votes tabulated, America is moving forward. Our vote is our most sacrosanct exercise of American democracy. It is the people’s voice. It is with our vote that we choose who will represent us for the next two years, the next six […]
USCRI Announces A New “Know Your Rights” Toolkit
USCRI’s Know Your Rights toolkit includes a guide for survivors of trafficking and asylum seekers to help them navigate law and immigration enforcement. The contents include: General tips On the street At home In a vehicle If detained Cannabis (marijuana) There is also a handy wallet-sized version in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Ukrainian. Click […]
URGENT ACTION: Keep America’s Refugee Resettlement Program Alive!
The refugee admissions goal for next fiscal year was just officially set at 15,000—the lowest level in U.S. history—and is restricting refugee arrivals based on limited categories of persecution and country of origin, meaning even fewer than 15,000 refugees will actually be resettled. The United States has long been a leader in refugee resettlement, but […]
