Refugee Status

The immigration laws and regulations provide some avenues to apply for lawful status from within the U.S. or to seek relief from deportation.  The eligibility requirements for these benefits and relief can be stringent, and the immigration agencies often adopt overly restrictive interpretations of the requirements.  Learn about advocacy and litigation that has been and can be undertaken to ensure that noncitizens have a fair chance to apply for the benefits and relief for which they are eligible.  

Recent Features

  • FOIA

Investigating USCIS’ Implementation of Humanitarian Parole and Refugee Processing for Afghan Nationals

Records to clarify why Afghans face such significant delays in humanitarian parole and refugee processing are necessary.

All Refugee Status Content

  • Blog

Efforts to Pass Anti-Refugee Legislation Slows

December 7, 2015

In the days after the Paris attacks, fear took hold of many across the United States, and some politicians proposed shutting our doors to refugees, particularly those from Syria and Iraq. This...

  • Blog

Texas Sues Federal Government Again, This Time Over Refugees

December 4, 2015

This week, Texas filed a lawsuit against the federal government and International Rescue Committee (IRC) to prevent the resettlement of a Syrian refugee family in the state. The family was...

  • Blog

Talking Turkey on Immigration 2015

November 25, 2015

Today, I have the pleasure of following in the footsteps of Mary Giovagnoli, who, during her five years at the American Immigration Council, entertained and enlightened us with her annual blog...

  • Special Report

Learning from Our Past: The Refugee Experience in the United States

Publication Date: 
November 25, 2015
This report provides background on the refugee experience in the United States, including welcoming and exclusionary responses, the impacts of these disparate reactions, and lessons to consider in...
  • Blog

Congress Continues its Knee-Jerk Reaction to Paris Attacks

November 19, 2015

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, the “American Safe Act of 2015” by a vote of 289 to 137, with 47 Democrats and all but two Republicans supporting the bill. This comes less...

  • Blog

Refugees Should Not Pay the Price for Paris Attack

November 16, 2015

The attacks that took place in Paris just days ago sadly reflect the volatile times in which we live. The horror we witnessed was quickly followed by national mourning and an outpouring of...

  • Blog

The Growing African Immigrant Population in the United States

November 4, 2015

Much is said and written about the immigrant population in the United States. However, most work focuses on immigrant populations from Latin America and Asia. Fortunately, the Pew Research Center...

  • Blog

DHS Secretary Johnson Discusses Border Security, Executive Action, Refugees and PEP

October 30, 2015

On Thursday, Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) addressed the 12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, covering a wide-range of topics, from border...

  • Blog

UN Report Highlights Worsening Refugee Crisis in the Americas

October 29, 2015

The Northern Triangle of Central America—comprising El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—is now one of the most dangerous places on the planet. The United Nations estimates that Honduras has the...

  • Blog

Report Highlights Uncertain Futures of Unaccompanied Child Migrants

October 16, 2015

Although their numbers have declined this year, unaccompanied children (UACs) from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border by the thousands. Many—...

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