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 […]
Category: Refugees
The Danger of Globally Institutionalizing Third Country Returns
Third country deportations should not be used as a tool for immigration enforcement. Often used as a tool to manage a politicized migration “problem,” third country deportations have the potential to normalize rights-free zones, forced exile, and indefinite detention. In February 2025, DHS issued a policy directive on third country deportations. The policy proposes forcibly […]
Press Release: Delegation Warns of Man-Made Starvation in Kakuma as USCRI Launches Pilot Program for Unaccompanied Girls
ARLINGTON, VA – Last week, a U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) delegation, led by USCRI President and CEO Eskinder Negash, visited Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya to gather firsthand insights, deliver critical support, and announce the launch of a pilot program that targets unaccompanied refugee girls. With over 300,000 refugees, the majority children, […]
The Loss of America’s Truckers: The Revocation of Commercial Driver’s Licenses from Refugees and Asylees
You can listen to this brief here “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, […]
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 […]
Standing with Refugee Children
What does it mean to become a refugee before you’ve even had the chance to grow up? From Syria to Sudan, Myanmar to Afghanistan, children around the world are being displaced at unprecedented levels. Some are too young to understand why they’re running; others carry memories of war, persecution, or violence no child should ever […]
When the Law is Not Enough: The Persecution of LGBTQ+ Colombians
June is Pride Month in commemoration of the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, an uprising against the state-sponsored persecution of queer-and-trans people. Today, more than fifty years later, queer-and-trans people remain persecuted. On paper, Colombia has some of the strongest protections in the Americas for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBGTQ+) individuals. But it […]
Supporting Relationships: Refugees and Host Communities
Cover Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat A refugee camp is a temporary settlement for the protection and aid of displaced populations. For refugees, a refugee camp can be an immediate safe haven. Host countries and international organizations establish refugee camps for a number of reasons. Refugee camps can be a politically expedient method of influx management, a […]
Defining “Refugees”—An Exclusionary Legacy
International organizations were born in the aftermath of devastating world wars. Nations set up international institutions and covenants, seeking to never repeat the devastation arising out of those wars. But first, they had to tackle an unprecedented mass displacement crisis. Due to warfare, destruction, and persecution, millions of people were driven out of their homes. […]
