Arlington, VA — [December 19, 2025] — A recent rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) prohibits refugees, asylees, and humanitarian parolees from obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The decision, currently temporarily held by an order from the D.C. Court of Appeals, would exclude them from the trucking industry and threaten the livelihoods of nearly 200,000 immigrants with valid work authorizations. In comments submitted to the Federal Register, leading […]
Author: USCRI
Situation Update: Sudan December 2025
Why Are We Asking You to Keep Eyes on Sudan? The people of Sudan are suffering a crisis escalating at a pace the world is barely registering, even as it becomes one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes of our time. Over two years into the war, millions are displaced, famine is spreading, and civilians […]
USCRI Opposes Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) strongly opposes the Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia, effective February 13, 2026. This termination puts thousands of Ethiopian nationals at risk of deportation and refoulement to a country beset by armed conflict, climate shocks, and regional instability. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that its review “determined the situation in Ethiopia no […]
USCRI Know Your Rights and Safety Planning
Updated: December 17, 2025 Regardless of immigration status, all individuals in the United States have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. The following guide is to inform survivors of human trafficking, asylum seekers, parolees, and other non-U.S. citizens of their legal rights in various situations with law enforcement and immigration officers. The Know Your Rights guide contains […]
USCRI Raises Alarm Over TPS Termination as Haiti Faces Record-Level Displacement
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is alarmed by the Administration’s recent decision to again terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, effective February 3, 2026. This action will place over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of returning to volatile and life-threatening conditions in Haiti. These are the same conditions for which the U.S. Department of State issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory. Many Haitians with TPS have lived, worked, and raised […]
Policy & Advocacy: Volume 9 | Issue No.4 December 11, 2025
P&A Monthly Snapshot Since our last newsletter, the Policy & Advocacy team has been busy, leading a 60+- organization letter supporting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, issuing a statement on the Administration’s decision to end TPS for Burma, reporting on the refugee reinterview plan, and continuing our coverage from last month’s brief on institutionalizing third-country […]
The Struggle for Documentation in Mexico’s Asylum System: The Human Impact of Withholding the TVRH
By Ana Martinez, Welcoming Communities Program Intern at USCRI Mexico covering the protection and integration of migrants, returnees, asylum seekers and refugees in Mexico and Central America. Introduction A single mother and her daughter from Cuba arrived in Mexico seeking safety. Under Mexican law, they should have received a Tarjeta de Visitante por Razones Humanitarias (TVRH), or Visitor’s Card for Humanitarian Reasons, the official document that grants asylum seekers temporary access […]
Behind the Brief: The Danger of Institutionalizing Third Country Returns
By: Rachel Ryu, Policy Analyst at USCRI This “Behind the Brief” accompanies Policy & Advocacy’s Brief from Volume 9, Issue No. 3, “The Danger of Globally Institutionalizing Third Country Returns,” originally published on November 19, 2025. You can find the complete brief at the end. Reason Behind the Brief Return hubs and third country returns […]
Press Release – USCRI Highlights Risks of Reported USCIS Refugee Reinterview Plan
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is disturbed by reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed a sweeping review and potential reinterview of more than 200,000 refugees who were admitted to the United States between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025, as well as a halt in processing their applications for permanent residence. A […]
Statement – USCRI: Ending TPS for Burma Puts Lives in Danger, Urges Reversal
Arlington, VA — [November 25, 2025] — The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is gravely concerned about the severe impact that the Administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Burma (Myanmar) will have on affected communities nationwide. This decision risks returning people to a country where conflict, widespread insecurity, and persecution persist. It also threatens to unravel the meaningful contributions Burmese TPS holders have made to their communities across the United […]
