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 […]
Category: Headquarters
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 [...]
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 […]
Statement – USCRI Calls on DHS to Withdraw Proposed Rule that Could Pause Asylum Seekers’ Work Permit Applications Up to 173 Years
On April 24, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) filed a formal comment with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strongly opposing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would dramatically restrict asylum seekers’ access to employment authorization documents (EADs), the work permits that allow them to legally support themselves and their families. The proposed rule, […]
They show up — rain, snow, sleet, and all
April was Volunteer Appreciation Month, and throughout the entire year, the USCRI Cleveland Field Office is proud to celebrate the incredible volunteers who walk alongside newcomers as they build new lives in Cleveland. At the heart of this work are relationships — relationships rooted in welcome, trust, and compassion. During some of the most challenging […]
April 29: A Supreme Court Case That Could Uproot Millions
By: Victoria Walker, Policy Analyst On April 29, 2026, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will go before the U.S. Supreme Court. On paper, the case may appear to be another set of briefs, another date on the calendar, but for hundreds of thousands of people living in the United States under TPS, this moment could mean […]
Policy and Advocacy Newsletter: April 23, 2026
Since our last newsletter, the Policy & Advocacy team marked three years of war in Sudan by highlighting the expansive suffering from the world’s largest displacement crisis. USCRI also reflected on the promise of Kenya’s Shirika Plan, a critical initiative to promote the inclusion of refugees in Kenya. USCRI also spoke with the International Institute of New England’s President, Jeff Theilman, to understand how they […]
Press Release – USCRI Shelter for Girls Closes Doors Following Loss of Federal Funding
ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) announced today the closure of Rinconcito del Sol, its shelter for unaccompanied migrant girls, effective April 10, 2026. The closure comes as a result of the loss of federal funding, ending a seven-year public-private partnership with the U.S. Government and a nationally recognized program that […]
