Plus: Standing up for the asylum system, adapting our services to the challenges
of the pandemic, and more.
July 2020
[[link removed]] House Passage of NO BAN Act a Big Win For Fair Immigration Policy
[[link removed]] Last week, in a major step toward ending religious descrimination in the U.S.
immigration system, the House of Representatives passed the NO BAN Act, which
would repeal all of the Trump administration’s travel bans against Muslims,
refugees, asylum seekers, and others. Learn more about the bill.
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[[link removed]] Taking the Lead in Emergency Assistance
[[link removed]] Across the world, COVID-19 has upended the way HIAS cares for its clients and
delivers vital services. Nevertheless, our staff members continue to find safe
and effective ways to keep the help flowing. Galo Quizanga, our director of
global economic inclusion, explains how. Find out more about our efforts.
[www.hias.org/blog/taking-lead-emergency-assistance?utm_source=hias_update_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_07_30_hias_update]As the situation around COVID-19 changes every day, so do our response pages.
Check HIAS.org [[link removed]] for the latest info on our operations.
[[link removed]] HIAS, ADL Oppose Changes to Asylum Laws
[[link removed]] If enacted, proposed new asylum regulations would virtually end the U.S. asylum
program. “HIAS and ADL oppose the regulations, in their entirety, because they
essentially eliminate asylum eligibility for almost everyone who seeks it,” said
Naomi Steinberg, HIAS’ VP for policy and advocacy. Read our full statement.
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[[link removed]] USCIS Is Out of Money. That's a 'Definitive Threat' to Refugee Admissions.
[[link removed]] U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processes asylum applications and
screens refugees, but the agency receives little funding from Congress and faces
a $1.2 billion deficit. León Rodriguez, a HIAS board member and former head of
USCIS, explains why that needs to change. Read more about the USCIS crisis.
[[link removed]]More news and stories on our blog.
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In case you missed it:
* Asylum, Which Made the U.S. a Leader in Protecting Jews, Could Disappear
[[link removed]] – “Asylum is Jewish, and it made and keeps Jews safe. Asylum is American, and
it made and keeps America great,” wrote Sam Yebri, whose family fled Iran
with the help of HIAS, for the LA Jewish Journal . Yebri warned that “the America that welcomed us when we escaped religious
persecution is in danger of disappearing.”
* Refugee Resettlement Is Close to Collapse. That Was Trump’s Plan.
[[link removed]] – Writer and activist Jessica Goudeau issued a similar warning about refugee
resettlement in the New York Times , saying the Trump administration is making refugee status ever more
difficult to get. “Since 2001, the United States has spent hundreds of
millions of dollars, failed to process tens of thousands of cases and added
years to refugee processing to subject refugees to an ever-growing security
apparatus which is both opaque and unfair,” said HIAS President and CEO Mark
Hetfield in Goudeau’s column.
* Refugee creates N.Y.C.'s first full-time shelter for asylum seekers
[[link removed]] – Edafe Okporo fled Nigeria in 2016 after he was subjected to homophobic
violence. LGBTQ asylum seekers often end up homeless, Okporo said, because
family and friends with permanent residence in the U.S. will not open their
doors to them, so he helped create a 10-bed shelter that has provided
temporary housing for more than 80 migrants.
* For refugees, pandemic adds to the hardship of a new life
[[link removed]] – The Washington Post looked at the toll COVID-19 is taking on refugees and included lessons HIAS
drew from our Rapid Needs Assessment report published last month. While many
refugees have lost jobs and struggle to provide food, housings and other
needs, the article noted that many are still attempting to give back to their
communities. “We are not just people who are facing challenges,” said one.
“We also have some strength, and when we have enough support, we can use that
to help other people.”
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Stay Involved With HIAS@Home
[[link removed]] – Even with COVID-19 restrictions in place, there are still many ways to learn
about, advocate for, and help refugees and asylum seekers. We’ve launched a new
page, HIAS@Home, where we offer calls and webinars with our experts and
partners, refugee-related resources for book and film clubs, and other ways to
stay engaged on refugee issues during the pandemic.
Find a list of ways that you can help
[[link removed]] refugees and asylum seekers, even while social distancing.
Learn about our remote volunteer opportunities [[link removed]] .
Did you know that HIAS is on LinkedIn
[[link removed]] ? You can also find us on Instagram
[[link removed]] and Medium
[[link removed]] .
For up to the minute news and updates, follow HIAS on Facebook
[[link removed]] and Twitter
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