A new Biden executive order provides a blueprint for rebuilding the badly damaged U.S Refugee Admissions Program. The order reflects the consensus among refugee resettlement and other humanitarian groups that the USRAP must not only be revived, but renewed.
Author: Mary Giovagnoli
Mary Giovagnoli is an immigration attorney and policy expert who has worked for over 25 years in both the federal government and nonprofit advocacy to improve the immigration system. She is a former executive director of the Refugee Council USA. She served as the DHS deputy assistant secretary for immigration policy from 2015 to 2017.
Biden’s Second Round of Executive Actions Tackles Immigration and Reuniting Families
The second round of executive actions on immigration, signed by President Biden this week, send a clear message that the Biden administration intends to tackle the immense structural damage caused to U.S. immigration policies by the Trump administration.
Biden’s ‘U.S. Citizenship Act’ Makes Immigration Everybody’s Concern
In his latest effort to reset America’s immigration policies, President Biden introduced a new legislative proposal to dramatically overhaul the immigration system: The U.S. Citizenship Act. The proposal focuses on eliminating current visa backlogs, increasing opportunities for temporary legal employment, strengthening worker protections and addressing the root causes of migration from Central America.
Biden Has Already Reset the Focus of the U.S. Immigration System for the Better
In an extraordinary series of executive orders and other actions taken on Inauguration Day, President Joe Biden reset the focus of the nation’s immigration system, directing the country’s attention to the value and importance of welcoming immigrants.
This is a sharp contrast to the last four years, in which the Trump administration sought at every turn to demonize immigrants, portray the nation as under attack from outsiders, and bang the drum for nativism and extremism.
Trump Hits New Low in Refugee Protection
The Trump administration is poised to authorize no more than 15,000 refugee admissions to the United States for Fiscal Year 2021—yet another historically low entry in President Trump’s effort to destroy the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Trump’s Anti-Asylum Rule Spells Disaster for Women and Girls
The Trump administration has proposed a new asylum rule that would make it virtually impossible for many women, children and people fleeing gang and domestic violence to obtain asylum in the United States.
How Racism Impedes Reform—and the Need to Address it Head-On
“Changing laws and policies alone won’t change who we are unless we address the underlying problems with those laws.”
“How can I reconcile the concept that politics is the art of compromise, with the clear message that there can be no more implicit compromise where black lives are at stake?”
Trump Introduces New Sponsorship Rules as Part of “Insidious Campaign” to Halt Immigration
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced people who sponsor a family member, and some employers, will have to provide detailed, notarized, bank account information if they want to bring someone to the U.S. Fortunately, there is still time to push back against these new sponsorship requirements, and remind Trump that welcoming immigrants and supporting families is a good thing.
New Immigration Ban, Same Old (Manufactured) Immigration Fears
“Even if you are not directly touched by this latest immigration move, the broader consequences are profoundly disturbing, as this is a clear end run around existing law governing legal immigration.”
Closing the Border to Asylum Seekers Won’t Stop Coronavirus
As countries shut down their borders and order lockdowns in our homes, we are all absorbing the message that survival depends on distance. But survival also depends on kindness, compassion and taking care of each other. There are ways to keep safe without abandoning our international obligations or our humanity.