Refugee Status

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.

An Overview of U.S. Refugee Law and Policy

Before admission to the United States, each refugee must undergo an extensive interviewing, screening, and security clearance process. They go on to contribute to our communities and our economy.

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All Refugee Status Content

  • Legal Resources and Litigation

Statement for the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on "The Impact of ISIS on the Homeland and Refugee Resettlement"

November 19, 2015
The statement explains in detail the 13- step screening process that refugees must clear in order to be granted refugee status in the U.S. and what the steps are once an individual is granted refugee status.
  • Legal Resources and Litigation

Statement for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest on "Oversight of the Administration's FY 2016 Refugee Resettlement Program: Fiscal and Security Implications"

October 1, 2015
The statement discusses the rigorous 13-step screening process that an individual must undergo before entering the United States as a refugee and explains the current response to the Syrian refugee crisis and how the Obama administration can better address the rising numbers of Syrian refugees by increasing the number of refugees that the United States resettles in the next fiscal year.
  • Blog

This Special Program Gives Refugee Athletes a Chance to Compete in the Olympics  

July 14, 2021

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to expand a unique venture for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: The Refugee Olympic Team. The expansion is part of the IOC’s long-...

  • Blog

On World Refugee Day, A Call to Rebuild U.S. Refugee Resettlement

June 18, 2021

World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally on June 20 every year. It honors the struggle of refugees around the world who are fleeing violence and persecution and are unable to safely return...

  • Blog

Biden’s Commitment to Refugees in Question After Flip-Flopping on Admissions Cap

April 16, 2021

Throughout his presidential campaign and after the election, Joe Biden repeatedly condemned President Trump’s decision to slash the U.S. refugee admissions level to its lowest in history. He ...

  • Blog

Court Blocks One of Trump’s Final Efforts to Keep Out Refugees

January 12, 2021

The Trump administration’s latest effort to prevent refugee resettlement in the United States was halted after a federal court ruled that the president’s order allowing state and localities to...

  • Blog

US Refugee Program Faces Grim Milestone: Historically Low Admissions

June 16, 2020

Each year on June 20, World Refugee Day celebrates the resiliency of refugees who have fled persecution in their home countries. It also honors the process that allows countries to take in...

  • Blog

Republican and Democratic Officials Continue to Accept Refugees, Rejecting Trump’s Executive Order

January 7, 2020

Update: On January 15, federal Judge Peter Messitte issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the Trump administration from enforcing its executive order giving state and local...

  • Blog

American Communities Benefit From Welcoming Refugees – The White House Wants to Stop That

October 3, 2019

For many small towns and rural communities, opening their doors to refugees is part of a local strategy to reverse population decline, stimulate their workforce, and build diverse communities....

  • Blog

Trump Administration Considers Lowering the Refugee Cap to Zero

September 13, 2019

The Trump administration is considering decreasing the maximum number of refugees accepted into the United States to 10,000 and as possibly low as zero, administration officials confirmed last...

  • Blog

Iraqi Interpreters Who Risked Their Lives Working With US Military Shut Out by Trump Administration

September 3, 2019

Iraqi interpreters who risked their lives to work with the American military have been effectively shut out from obtaining the special U.S. visa they were promised. The Trump administration issued...

  • Blog

USCIS Announces 7 International Offices Will Remain Open Despite Overall Shutdown

August 15, 2019

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released more details about its plan to close its international offices. In an August 9 memorandum, USCIS clarified that all but seven of...

  • Press Release

Release of Refugee Families is Long-Overdue Step

July 20, 2016

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council welcome plans announced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the release

  • Press Release

Eight of Twelve Families Targeted by ICE Have Been Released

February 8, 2016

Washington D.C. – After being held in detention for more than a month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), eight of the families

  • Press Release

CARA: 33 Mothers and Children Protected from Immediate Deportation

January 13, 2016

Washington D.C. – In the last week, 121 mothers and children were brought to the South Texas Residential Family Center in Dilley, Texas, after being rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enf

  • Press Release

Statement on Administration’s Plans to Round up Central American Families for Deportation

December 24, 2015

Washington D.C. - Late last night, The Washington Post broke th

  • Press Release

Five Incarcerated Refugee Families Finally Released After Being Held for Months on End

September 10, 2015

Washington, DC – Today, Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), the American Immigration Council, Refugee and Immigrant Center for E

  • Press Release

Judge Stands Up for Refugee Families, Castigates Government for Policies That Traumatize Children

July 25, 2015

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (Council) welcomed a ruling by U.S.

  • Press Release

Immigrants’ Rights Groups to Provide Pro Bono Legal Services to Detained Families in Texas

March 31, 2015

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

The U.S. Must Not Lower the Bar on Protecting Children Fleeing Violence

July 30, 2014

Washington D.C. - The humanitarian challenge posed by the arrival of thousands of unaccompanied children and young families at our southern border has once again ignited passions over

  • Press Release

America Must Uphold Its Obligations to Protect Children and Families Fleeing Persecution

June 30, 2014

Washington D.C. - As the numbers of unaccompanied minors and mothers with children crossing our southern border grows, the U.S.

  • Blog

The Federal Government Is Cutting Aid for Migrant Shelters and Services. What Will States Do Now?

April 9, 2024

After months of contentious debate and near government shutdowns, Congress approved appropriations for fiscal year 2024, which President Biden quickly signed into law. The spending package...

  • Blog

Refugees and Asylum Seekers Generate Billions of Dollars More Than They Cost the U.S. Government

February 22, 2024

A report released this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that refugees and asylees have generated tens of billions of dollars more in local, state, and federal...

  • Press Release

Court Hears Challenge to Asylum Turnback

October 13, 2023
On October 13, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California will hear arguments in Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance v. Mayorkas, a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful policy of turning back people seeking asylum without a CBP One appointment.
  • Blog

Seeking Refuge Across the US, Little Amal Starts Her Journey

September 7, 2023

Co-authors: Micaela McConnell, Paloma Ramos “Don’t forget about us,” is the cornerstone message that will be amplified across the United States this fall as Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a 10-...

  • Press Release

Solicitantes de Asilo Piden a la Corte Bloquear la Política de Rechazo

August 10, 2023
El miércoles, un grupo de solicitantes de asilo presentó una petición para bloquear la política ilegal de la administración Biden de rechazar a las personas que buscan asilo en los puertos de entrada a lo largo de la frontera con Estados Unidos.
  • Press Release

Asylum Seekers Ask Court to Block Turnback Policy

August 10, 2023
On Wednesday a group of asylum seekers moved to block the Biden administration’s unlawful policy of turning back people seeking asylum at ports of entry along the southern border.
  • Press Release

New Report Reveals Refugees' Profound Economic Contributions and Integration in the United States

June 20, 2023
The American Immigration Council unveils a new report highlighting the substantial economic and social impact of refugees in the United States.
Cover of Refugee Report
  • Special Report

Starting Anew

Publication Date: 
June 20, 2023
A record 100 million people around the globe were forced to flee their homes in 2022, up from 65 million in 2015. Of those displaced last year, 32.5 million were refugees who had to leave their...
  • Blog

DHS Launches Process for Afghans to Extend Permission to Stay in the US

June 9, 2023

Time was running out for many Afghan refugees living and working in the United States after American troops withdrew from Afghanistan. Thanks to the Biden administration’s recent decision to...

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Unveils Blueprint for a Modern and Functional Border and Asylum System

May 3, 2023
The American Immigration Council released a new vision and blueprint for the border that highlights the need for a modern and functional system of humanitarian protection and border management in the United States.

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