Blog

Abdi Iftin | May 25, 2023

In the month of May, Refugee Council USA’s Annual Advocacy Days kicked off with great enthusiasm, bringing together a diverse group of over a hundred delegates, including refugee leaders from across the nation. This event was filled with energy and personal engagement as we had the opportunity to interact with our state senators. Among our primary objectives was to urge …

Abdi Iftin | May 8, 2023

In February of this year, my colleague Sara and I traveled to New Haven, Connecticut to join a co-sponsor team made up of a coalition of congregations. JCARR (Jewish Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement) and DARA (Danbury Area Refugee Assistance) had been a crucial support system for refugees and asylees for many years. Witnessing firsthand the partnerships that had been …

Halima Adams | May 4, 2023

Although it’s May 2023, my memory draws me back to early March 2020. It was in the early days of my CWS sabbatical-turned-COVID-quarantine, and I was researching and reading loads. I was curious about how U.S. race-based immigration policies and definitions shifted with time and political circumstance, and its impact on migration patterns. One of the policies that really stuck …

Abdi Iftin | April 20, 2023

As the crescent is sighted, Muslims around the world rejoice in the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan. This joyous occasion, also known as the “festival of breaking the fast”, is celebrated for at least three days and is a time when many feel a heightened sense of spiritual connection to God …

Monica Arango | April 17, 2023

Since leaving his home in Cameroon with his family, Alejandro has crossed more borders and countries than he could have imagined. Despite the difficulties he experienced, the greatest challenge yet was traversing the dense forest known as the Darien Gap. “This path is fatal. People are dying. I have seen bodies on the path. I have seen people there, in …