News & Updates

The latest news, updates, and blog posts from Refugee Congress and our Delegates.

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National Leaders Call for Immediate Restart of Refugee Resettlement Program

“USRAP opens doors that would have otherwise remained closed, and I’ve dedicated my life to making sure that those doors stay open for others as well,” said Aisha Koroma, Refugee Congress Delegate for Washington, D.C., Assistant Director of Social Integration at HIAS, and a resettled refugee from Sierra Leone. “But I’m just one story. There’s so many Aisha’s out there, including those still in transit, children and families waiting for safety, for stability, and for a chance to rebuild. USRAP is more than a program. It represents lives, dreams, resilience, hope. It is a gateway for future changemakers, doctors, engineers, artists, trades people. People who are ready and eager to become assets to America’s workforce and to contribute meaningfully to its economy and communities.”

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Unlawful Detentions and Forced Removals Without Due Process Violate Rights, Endanger Refugees and U.S. Citizens

“Unlawfully detaining and forcibly removing people without due process is a dangerous assault on fundamental rights that puts everyone at risk—not just those seeking refuge, but every person who calls the U.S. home,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director. “The Trump administration is bent on tearing families apart, destabilizing entire communities, and dismantling the very ideals of welcome and safety that define us as a nation. When longtime residents—and even U.S. citizens—are wrongfully detained or deported, it sends a chilling message that no one is safe. Our elected leaders must act immediately to stop these violations, defend due process, and uphold human dignity before more lives are devastated.”

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Trump Administration’s early start to refugee ban risks lives, betray American values and undermine U.S. leadership

As leaders who have experienced forced displacement and some who have been separated from families, Refugee Congress denounces not only the indefinite ban on refugee admissions, but also the betrayal of trust and hope for those who were initially approved for arrival and resettlement before the executive order’s effective date. Not only does this action betray American values of welcome, but it also undermines the integrity of American leadership as a nation committed to protecting our most vulnerable neighbors.

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Refugee Congress Condemns Trump’s Executive Order Endangering People Seeking Safety

As an organization led by people who built a new life here in the U.S., we know firsthand that welcoming refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and newcomers makes America safer and stronger. Refugee Congress strongly condemns this unnecessary and inhumane targeting of our neighbors, and we remain dedicated to advocating for the rights, safety, and dignity of all who have been forcibly displaced and who seek safety in the United States.

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Nearly 500 Bipartisan State and Local Officials From All 50 States Welcome Refugee Resettlement in their Communities

Today, 477 state and local elected officials from across the country sent President Biden a letter urging him to “strengthen the U.S. resettlement program to improve our capacity to welcome, enable our communities to more nimbly provide humanitarian protection, and preserve the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for years to come.”

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