By Alexia Gardner, Policy Analyst, and Anum Merchant, Policy Intern In May of 1939, a boat of German Jews aboard the St. Louis pleaded for asylum in the United States. They were denied entry and returned to Europe. 254 of the passengers were later killed in the Holocaust. Rosa Seligmann was murdered at Auschwitz. Martha Scheyer was killed at Sobibor. […]
Category: Headquarters
The Invisible Work That Saves Lives: Honoring Survivors Through Care, Advocacy, and Trust
By Veronica Farkas, TVAP/Aspire Case Manager My job as a Case Manager is a combination of advocacy, crisis response, and long-term support, as well as relationship building for those who have experienced severe trauma. I help survivors achieve safety, stability, and independence by connecting them to long-term housing, legal services, education, employment, and medical services. It’s rewarding to be able to […]
Press Release: As Humanitarian Response Collapses, USCRI Kenya Expands Keep Girls Dreaming Program
Kakuma, Kenya — This week, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) held introductory meetings for the Keep Girls Dreaming program expansion in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. The USCRI Kenya team engaged with the Government of Kenya, non-governmental organizations, and refugee community members to elaborate on the expansion of the Keep Girls Dreaming menstrual justice program to include additional services to unaccompanied refugee girls in the camp, including food assistance, school supplies, and child protection. The program’s expansion comes at a time when basic services are not […]
Defending the Right to Work: Why USCRI Called on DHS to Withdraw a Harmful Rule
In November 2025, USCRI submitted a comment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to withdraw an interim final rule (IFR) that diminishes the right to work for many immigrants, including those who are in the United States with or seeking humanitarian based protections. Below, we explain why we raised these concerns to the U.S. Government and what is at stake. In order to work legally […]
Through My Eyes: Early Reflection on Empowering Adolescent Girls in the Face of Fragility
by Sylvia Maru, Program Manager, Keep Girls Dreaming Stepping into Kakuma Refugee Camp for the first time is an experience that stays with you. The heat, the dust, the hustle and bustle, the resilience stamped into every face, and especially the young ones. I have just begun my journey with Keep Girls Dreaming here, […]
Refugee Organizations Urge the Department of Transportation to Give Immigrants Their Commercial Driver’s Licenses Back
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
