Nearly eight million Venezuelans have been forced to flee. It is one of the largest refugee crises in the world, surpassing even Syria and Afghanistan. Yet as their numbers have grown, Venezuelan’s access to regional protection has disintegrated. With Nicolás Maduro’s capture in January 2026, Venezuela faces a new political moment. The stories of those persecuted and in exile must guide what comes next. To understand this experience, USCRI Policy Analyst Alexia Gardner spoke with three Venezuelan refugees. These are their stories.* Data current as of November […]
Category: Policy and Advocacy
Beyond Resolutions: What January Means for Trafficking Survivors
By Lindsey Draper, Regional Coordinator, Anti-Trafficking Services January, for many, is a time for post-holiday recovery. We’ve spent time with our families, eaten good food, and celebrated the passing of another year. January marks a period of new beginnings and new opportunities. But for foreign national survivors of human trafficking in the United States, January may look a bit different. December might not have brought them time […]
Building a National Response for Trafficking Survivors: Preliminary Evaluation Findings from TVAP and Aspire
January 12, 2025 The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is pleased to release a preliminary report, drafted in partnership with the University of South Carolina, sharing findings from an ongoing evaluation of the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) and Aspire: Child Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (Aspire). This preliminary report shares early findings from an ongoing […]
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 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: 60+ National, State, and Local Organizations Uphold the United States’ Commitment to Welcome the Displaced and Persecuted
Arlington, VA — [November 20, 2025] — Today, more than 60 national, state, and local organizations that work with immigrants and refugees across the United States joined together to urge the U.S. Government to uphold its commitment to welcome refugees. For more than four decades, the U.S. refugee program has reflected our nation’s deepest values and global leadership in protecting the persecuted. Grounded in the Refugee Act of 1980, this bipartisan commitment […]
