HIAS

Today, we honor the lives of the people who were murdered in Pittsburgh eight years ago. We will never stop fighting to end antisemitism and create a world where all feel welcome and safe. May the lives of those lost be a blessing in the brightest light ❤️‍🩹

Breaking 🚨 HIAS filed a lawsuit with partners challenging three recent Trump administration policies that strip refugees of legal protections without due process. Read our statement ⤵

More than 600 Jewish clergy from across the country are speaking out after a new Trump administration rule threatens to strip resettled refugees of their legal status and puts them at risk of deportation. Read their letter calling for refugee protection.

As you prepare to vote this November, remember that refugee and immigration policy doesn’t come from the White House alone. Congress writes the laws, controls the funding, and holds the executive branch accountable. Those decisions can affect whether families fleeing persecution find safety ⤵

“Stripping away the security promised to refugees with little to no safeguards shatters our promise to them and sends a devastating message: even the most lawful & carefully vetted path to protection in the U.S. can be arbitrarily revoked." — HIAS VP of Refugee, Immigration Policy & Advocacy

This #WorldMentalHealthDay, the call from experts is the same one HIAS builds its programs around: center the lived experiences of refugees and train community leaders to strengthen resiliency. In Chad, that means women shaping their own recovery ⤵

We're grateful our colleagues are safe & our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this disaster. HIAS has been supporting communities in Panamá since 2010. As the full scope of this crisis comes into focus, we will continue to be there for those who need it most.

"It's not that faith leaders are more worthy of our attention and our outrage at their detention. But their detention should be clarifying for those who may doubt the profound moral breach of the Trump administration's immigration policies." - HIAS' Rabbi Sarah Bassin

The earthquake in Colombia was not isolated. It came alongside wildfires, El Niño-linked drought, and conflict-related displacement, putting real strain on those trying to respond. HIAS Colombia is working with local partners to provide support to survivors where it's needed most ⤵

A powerful reflection from HIAS' Rabbi-in-Residence ⤵ https://hias.org/news/three-years-after-october-7-finding-moral-clarity-through-compassion/

Starting tomorrow, thousands of people with legal status in the U.S. will no longer have access to medical benefits. This includes federally funded Medicaid and CHIP, as well as SNAP. For our clients, this means losing access to support for their basic needs.

Before fleeing Venezuela, Pedro* never needed a car. In the U.S., that quickly changed. Through HIAS' Individual Development Account program, Pedro spent two years learning & saving toward his first car. Now his commute is 10 minutes, and he's saving again for his own electronics repair business ⤵

"The refugee program, which was historically bipartisan, reflecting the true spirit of welcome that we can all stand behind as Americans, has now become politically polarized." A powerful read from HIAS President & CEO Beth Oppenheim on the upcoming Presidential Determination ⤵

We are appalled by reports that the Trump admin. is once again planning on limiting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program primarily to white South Africans. This move leaves people fleeing persecution stranded, without the safety they’ve been promised after years of waiting.

The farmland that Matoua's household once relied on is now occupied by the Arkoum refugee camp, making it impossible to continue traditional farming activities. But in the face of these odds, she found a way to build resilience for herself and her family ⤵

Pierre had recently lost his temporary protected status, along with ~350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. His death is a devastating indicator of the human consequences of the Trump admin's assault on the rights of immigrants. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones ❤️‍🩹

In co-sponsorship, refugee families are matched with professional caseworkers and trained volunteer groups. Here is a snapshot of what co-sponsorship taught us from 2021-24 ⤵

In partnership with @aecid.bsky.social, HIAS created a campaign to empower indigenous women and girls to make informed decisions about their health & prevent violence. So far, we've reached 3,000+ participants: https://hias.org/news/empowering-women-indigenous-host-communities-panama/

Will we choose protection and inclusion, or fear and exclusion? The rise of remigration rhetoric is not simply a change in vocabulary. It reflects a broader debate about the kind of country the U.S. will be ⤵

"The asylum interview is at times the only way ordinary people fleeing persecution have to be heard – to feel that their stories matter. But this rule will deny many people their voice and their due process, and the result will be devastating." Read more on our legal challenge to the Trump admin ⤵

THIS JUST IN‼️ HIAS joined several immigrant rights groups to challenge a new interim final rule that allows USCIS to send people seeking asylum directly to immigration court without first assessing their legal claims in an affirmative asylum interview.

Today, we honor the humanitarians. The people who work tirelessly to make sure the most vulnerable populations have access to their rights. The teams who do all they can to build towards a world where ALL are welcome 💙 #WorldHumanitarianDay

We are horrified by the attack at Central Synagogue last night. Hate and violence has no place in our synagogues, in any house of worship, or in our communities. Everyone deserves to worship in safety and without fear.

Five years ago this week, the world watched as Afghans crowded the gates of the Kabul airport, trying to escape as the Taliban seized control of the country. With days to act, it was one of the largest and fastest responses in HIAS’ recent history. Today, we reflect ⤵

Colombia was hit by a powerful 7.4 earthquake yesterday in the San José del Palmar. Tremors were felt as far away as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. As the death toll continues to rise, our hearts are with our colleagues, families of those who have lost their lives, and everyone impacted.

Some things we find chic.

The consequences of having no legal representation are dire and can mean the difference between being separated from your family or being deported to a country where you will be harmed. No one should have to defend their freedom alone:

"Abandoning people to danger is both cruel and a betrayal of our nation’s longstanding commitment to offer refuge to those who need it.” — HIAS President & CEO Beth Oppenheim in response to TPS ending for approx. 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. Read our full statement ⤵

There is a common misconception that welcoming newcomers harms the U.S. economy — and politicians have used such claims to justify policy proposals that are harmful to refugees and immigrants. But those claims aren't true, and we have the numbers to prove it:

After a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp in 2020, six unaccompanied Afghan minors were falsely accused of setting it — and spent years fighting to clear their names. This year, three of them won:

“This new rule, issued 75 years to the day the world stood together to respond to the mistakes it made during the Holocaust, continues to show the disconnect between the country we've been and the country we're becoming.” - CEO & President Beth Oppenheim in response to a new announcement from USCIS.

The rubble may be clearing, but communities in Venezuela are still in need of support. Read how we are responding to this disaster ⤵

Legislation to restore TPS for Haiti has passed the House of Representatives, and the Senate must pass it now before it's too late. We have three days to take action. Call your Senators by July 27 and DEMAND to restore TPS for Haiti today.

Displaced from Syria to Lebanon to Jordan, brothers Alaa and Bahaa found something unexpected when they resettled in London: a synagogue that had already spent a year fighting to welcome them. Read their full story ↴

While a recent Supreme Court ruling directly impacts 356,000 people, the Trump administration is likely to use the ruling to go after over 1 million TPS recipients. Learn more about TPS: https://hias.org/news/deep-dive-temporary-protected-status-tps/

Until ICE and CBP is held accountable, people will continue to die and communities will continue to live in fear. Enough is enough. https://hias.org/statements/hias-devastated-recent-ice-killings/

250 years of U.S. immigration history have included welcome, exclusion, then welcome again — on repeat. Through more than half of that history, HIAS has been there, standing with displaced people through every era, including the one we're in right now. Read the full history ↴

Close to 170,000 people who have been here legally in the U.S. for over 25 years are at risk of losing their status. Ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from El Salvador will have devastating consequences.

Absolutely horrifying — our hearts go out to the family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. This rampant violence and intimidation of ICE is destroying families and communities across the country. It's up to each of us to stand up, share their stories without fear and without intimidation, and fight back.

“The challenge to birthright citizenship was never just about constitutional interpretation. It is part of a broader effort to redefine who gets to be an American: to replace a vision of citizenship grounded in equality, inclusion & hospitality with one rooted in hostility, exclusion and fear.”

More than 10,000 people have been detained in the last five days. Let that sink in: More than 10,000 people. In this terrifying time for refugees and immigrants, it's up us to stand together to protect our communities. Read more:

The Supreme Court just reaffirmed a fundamental constitutional promise: children born in the United States are citizens of the U.S. “The U.S. has been shaped by the children and grandchildren of immigrants. Their stories are part of America’s story,” said Beth Oppenheim, HIAS President & CEO.

A deportation flight from Miami arrived in Venezuela just hours before Wednesday’s earthquakes. Now, more than 100 are missing. This is horrifying.