USCRI was a significant presence this Memorial Day Weekend at Vermont’s largest single-day sporting event -the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay. On Sunday, May 24, USCRI Vermont fielded two teams, each made up of five runners from our full-time staff and volunteer network. Running under the banner “Running for Refugees,” the 2026 marathon […]
Author: Senna Ahmad
Press Release: On World Menstrual Hygiene Day, USCRI Kenya Begins Distributing 3,000 Dignity Kits in Kakuma Refugee Camp
NAIROBI, KENYA – Last week, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) Kenya began distributing 3,000 dignity kits to girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya through its Keep Girls Dreaming initiative. This distribution came on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, a global advocacy day that underscores the importance of good menstrual hygiene and highlights efforts for menstrual hygiene access. “For many girls, something as simple as access to sanitary pads […]
Introducing Dream Keepers: Monthly Support for Unaccompanied Refugee Girls
Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya is home to over 300,000 refugees. For the unaccompanied girls living there, daily life means navigating hunger, exploitation, and the near-constant threat of child marriage and violence. Drastic cuts to humanitarian funding have stripped away basic services, leaving some of the most vulnerable children without food, school supplies, or menstrual hygiene products. USCRI Kenya's Keep [...]
Policy and Advocacy Newsletter
Since our last newsletter, the Policy & Advocacy team has continued to spotlight urgent refugee and immigration issues through research, advocacy, and public engagement. The team collaborated with USCRI’s Refugee Health team to emphasize the importance of strong health coverage through Refugee Medical Assistance. We issued a statement urging DHS to withdraw a proposed rule that would effectively halt asylum seekers’ access to work permits. The […]
Education Interrupted: Refugee Children in Burundi Fight for Their Future
By: Victoria Walker, USCRI Policy Analyst With thanks to Gaspard Atibu, Chairman of the Legal Refugee Center (LRC) and to the LRC Burundi Team for informing this reporting. LRC is a nonprofit humanitarian organization founded in April 2023 in the United States by a former Burundian refugee. Operating in Burundi, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ghana, […]
USCRI Latin America and the Caribbean launches new call to expand higher education pathways for refugees to study in Mexico
On May 1, USCRI Latin America and the Caribbean, together with the Shapiro Foundation, launched a new call for Habesha Project applications, reaffirming a shared commitment to support refugees as they rebuild their lives through higher education. At a time when opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers are shrinking globally, access to education remains one of the strongest pathways to long-term stability, […]
Meet the Congresswoman Behind U.S. Refugee Law
As Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and International Law, Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman steered the 1980 Refugee Act through the House of Representatives, partnering with Senator Ted Kennedy to drive the bill to final passage. The landmark legislation fundamentally reshaped American immigration law, allowing the United States to welcome more than three […]
Refugee Medical Assistance: A Strong Start Requires Strong Health Coverage
As refugees begin rebuilding their lives in the United States, access to reliable medical coverage is essential to give them the best chance at success. The 2025 reduction of Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) from 12 months to four months undermines refugees’ ability to achieve medical stability, economic self-sufficiency, and successful integration, while increasing long-term public costs. In [...]
