USCRI Reaffirms Commitment to Refugees at Home and Worldwide Arlington, VA — [October 31, 2025] — Today, the White House set the FY 2026 refugee admissions goal at just 7,500 refugee admissions. This number represents the lowest refugee admissions goal in the history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) at a time of significant […]
Category: Policy and Advocacy
SNAP: A Survival Lifeline for Refugees and Immigrants Will End on November 1
Starting November 1, 2025, all states must implement eligibility changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the federal food assistance program. These changes resulting from to H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” will take effect despite the ongoing federal government shutdown and its impact on SNAP assistance for over 40 million Americans. The […]
The Loss of America’s Truckers: The Revocation of Commercial Driver’s Licenses from Refugees and Asylees
“We refugees are the lifeblood of America… We hold a sacred profession—truck driving— and we deliver to you all the materials, from the food you eat and the clothes you wear to the car you drive and the supplies used to build your home. In other words, while we live here, we also keep you […]
Displacement and Humanitarian Needs in Burundi
Burundi is a small country in East Africa bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The nation has a rich cultural heritage and complex history, but in recent years, Burundi has faced serious displacement and humanitarian crises, both internally and cross-border. Driven by climate shocks, economic hardship, and both political […]
Safeguarding Refugee Rights Amid U.S. Policy Changes
Recent statements at the U.N. General Assembly signal a shift in U.S. refugee and asylum policy. USCRI examines what these changes mean for America’s humanitarian commitments. Last month, on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly, officials from the U.S. State Department led a discussion on the global refugee and asylum system. The Administration’s emerging […]
Explainer: Our Nation’s Commitment to Refugees
America has long been a beacon for the world’s persecuted and unfree. Woven into our national fabric, this principle reflects our deepest values and enduring moral leadership. As part of this legacy, the United States has welcomed over three million refugees since 1980. The United States refugee program was born in the aftermath of the […]
Everything She Can Be: Honoring the Power of Girls Everywhere
Author’s Note I have gained endless inspiration from the girls and young women I have met in communities across the United States and around the world. Whether on the frontlines of protests and movements, leading classrooms and communities in refugee camps, or facing a migration journey alone, girls continue to rise, speak out, and dream […]
Protecting the Promise of Travel in a Travel Ban Era
On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Government imposed a travel ban that impacted nationals from 19 countries. Proclamation 10949, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” stated that the Executive Branch has authority to block the entry of noncitizens if […]
Afghanistan’s Earthquake is Man’s Disaster
This week, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan’s mountainous Kunar province, located along its eastern border with Pakistan. Two subsequent earthquakes, measuring 5.5 magnitude and 6.2, inflicted further devastation. Early reports from the Taliban count 2,205 dead, with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) estimating that 1.3 million people are affected by the […]
Made in China: Forced Labor and the Uyghur People
The plight of the Uyghur people, and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), and across China, has drawn international concern for nearly a decade. Various reports and evidence indicate that Chinese authorities have constructed a system of repression involving arbitrary detention, mass surveillance, forced assimilation, and […]
