On Thursday, February 4th, the administration took an historic step to improve and strengthen the U.S. resettlement program and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program by signing “Executive Order on Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration.”

The entire refugee community welcomes and celebrates this EO’s arrival. This executive action will improve the resettlement program’s efficiency and equitable treatment of refugees,…

Although the Report to Congress proposes a PD of admitting 15k refugees for FY21, there is still no word on when Congressional consultations will take place which are required by law. In absence of a signed PD, let's continue to mobilize advocates around the country to urge Congress, especially House/Senate Judiciary Members, to increase the PD.

***ATTN: South Carolina & Texas***

Partners in South Carolina and Texas, your states are particularly important as Senators Graham and Cornyn…

Public Charge: What's Happening 

First and foremost, the fight against the implementation of the "public charge" rule is not over and the rule is not currently in effect. The USCIS announced that it will begin applying the public charge Final Rule to applications and petitions submittedon or after February 24, 2020 (except in Illinois).

Please read on to learn more about what has happened, the next steps, how to talk about public charge, know your rights and how to take action.

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Two new rules were proposed by DHS on November 14, 2019 that will harm the vulnerable populations that we serve and care for.  Neither rule is effective immediately and both rules are open to public comment. 

Rule 1: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements

Brief Background:

DHS published a proposed rule on November 14, 2019. that imposes significant new fees on asylum seekers and DACA recipients, among…