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.
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.
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.
Gratitude and Shame: Why I Talked About the Border at My Thanksgiving Table
Our choices may not have been as desperate or tinged with the fear of life or death, but at certain moments in our lives, we’ve all felt the maddening, aching need to protect those we love.
Trump Administration Slashes Refugee Program to New Low
Last week, Trump proposed a reduction in the number of refugee admissions to 18,000 persons for 2020, the lowest number in the 40-year history of the refugee program. Simultaneously, he issued an executive order requiring states and localities to consent to the placement of refugees in their communities.
Will the Trump Administration End All Refugee Admissions?
At a time when the United Nations has identified more than 25 million refugees worldwide—people who cannot return to their home countries for fear of persecution or other dangers—the Trump administration is contemplating setting a zero refugee admissions target for fiscal year 2020.