By Will Evans, Policy Analyst In 1959, twenty-three-year-old Tenzin Gyatso and a small Tibetan entourage fled Lhasa and trekked for weeks across the Himalayas before reaching safety. The Prime Minister of India at the time, Jawaharlal Nehru, insisted on providing asylum to the group, citing moral and humanitarian grounds. Tenzin Gyatso is now better known as His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For 66 years, he has lived in exile, unable to return […]
Category: USCRI Programs
Family Separation as Policy: The Human Cost for Children
A child who is separated from their parent or caregiver does not experience a policy decision; rather, they experience fear, confusion, and a complete collapse of the world they trust. Globally, family separation—particularly the forced or involuntary separation of parents and children—is a profound human rupture. It is measured in the enduring trauma of sudden […]
IMW 2025 Report: The Role Of Mexican Youth Leadership Supporting Migrant And Refugee Integration
Intercultural Mobility Week is a national event led by USCRI Mexico’s Network of Committees for Integration and Welcome (ReCIBE), a national youth-led advocacy platform embedded in 7 higher education institutions in Mexico. The network works to: · Promote the integration of people in mobility. · Foster intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace. · Create […]
Policy and Advocacy Newsletter: VOLUME 9 | ISSUE NO.5 January 30, 2026
Our Policy and Advocacy Newsletter introduces our latest project: From the Archives. For more than a century, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has advocated for the rights and dignity of refugees. For our 115th anniversary, we are revisiting our archives to pair earlier works with contemporary reflections on how the lessons of history resonate today. Looking […]
The Invisible Work That Saves Lives: Honoring Survivors Through Care, Advocacy, and Trust
By Veronica Farkas, TVAP/Aspire Case Manager My job as a Case Manager is a combination of advocacy, crisis response, and long-term support, as well as relationship building for those who have experienced severe trauma. I help survivors achieve safety, stability, and independence by connecting them to long-term housing, legal services, education, employment, and medical services. It’s rewarding to be able to […]
Venezuela in Exile: Refugee Stories
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 […]
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 […]
