The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) voices grave concern over the most recent in a series of devastating cuts to food rations, which have affected over 700,000 refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and Kalobeyei Settlement. These cuts are a direct consequence of the withdrawal of life-saving humanitarian assistance by the […]
Category: Headquarters
The 1951 Refugee Convention: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
For a backgrounder on the refugee definition, see “Defining ‘Refugees’—An Exclusionary Legacy.” The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, amended by the 1967 Protocol, defines a “refugee” as any person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, […]
Honoring World Refugee Day
In May of 1939, a boat of German Jews aboard the St. Louis plead for asylum in the United States. They were denied entry and returned to Europe. 254 of the passengers were killed in the Holocaust. This unconscionable past haunts us. We made a commitment to ‘never again’. Never again would we force someone […]
Invisible Hands: Confronting Child Labor in Global Supply Chains on World Day Against Child Labor 2025
The açaí in your health bowl, the cocoa in your chocolate, the coffee in your latte, the copper in your phone—what do they have in common? Child labor. For millions of children, they represent long days of hazardous work instead of school, play, or rest. On World Day Against Child Labor 2025, we pause to recognize […]
Termination of TPS for Cameroon and Nepal Puts Lives at Risk
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon (published June 4, effective August 4, 2025) and Nepal (published June 6, effective August 5, 2025). These actions disregard ongoing humanitarian crises and place thousands of lives at risk—individuals who have built families, contributed to the economy, and strengthened […]
Travel ban targets 19 countries, including Afghanistan and Sudan
Today, the Administration rolled out travel restrictions targeting the citizens of nineteen countries. Travelers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are prohibited, with some exceptions. Meanwhile, there is a partial suspension on the issuance of certain visas, such as student exchange J visas, […]
USCRI Joins RCUSA for 2025 Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill
This week, alongside our partners at Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), USCRI spent two impactful days on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress and their staff to advocate for the rights and protections of refugees and immigrants. Constituents, former refugees, and longtime advocates shared their stories, opened up crucial conversations, and called for meaningful policy […]
Running for Refugees in Vermont
USCRI had a significant presence Memorial Day Weekend at Vermont’s largest single-day sporting event, the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay. On Sunday, May 25, two USCRI Vermont relay teams, each consisting of five runners from full-time staff and the volunteer network, ran their hearts out to support USCRI’s mission. Scores of other runners […]
A Legacy of Welcome: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Representative Connolly
Representative Gerry Connolly was a lifelong public servant, a steadfast advocate for human rights, and a tireless champion for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. Before his distinguished career in Congress, Representative Connolly served as Executive Director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees, where he helped shape policies and programs to protect people displaced by war […]
Administration Revokes Protections for Venezuelans
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is dismayed by the Administration’s revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela. Just weeks ago, on January 10, 2025, an extension for TPS was announced, and on January 17, 2025, it was published to the Federal Register—only to be abruptly rescinded. TPS is a lifesaving humanitarian […]
