Advocacy
Our Washington, D.C. office advances HIAS’ refugee and immigrant protection agenda by educating Washington policy makers on issues concerning both Jewish migrants and the broader immigrant and refugee community.
NEW! Actor Dedicates Oscar Nomination to Undocumented Immigrants
On January 24th, Demián Bichir was announced as an Academy Award nominee for Best Actor in the film "A Better Life," in which he plays the role of a struggling immigrant father in East Los Angeles. In accepting the nomination, Bichir said that "the issue [of immigrants] is close to many of us [...] We are all immigrants and America was based on immigrants." He went on to dedicate his nomination to the "11 million human beings who make our lives easier and better in the US." Read more.
Posted January 26, 2012
NEW! HIAS Moderates Capitol Hill Briefing on Iraqi Refugees
On January 25th, Melanie Nezer, HIAS' Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, moderated a Capitol Hill briefing entitled "Mission Not Accomplished: The Plight of Persecuted Iraqis Left Behind." Experts discussed the status of Iraqi interpreters and translators who helped U.S. forces and Iraqi refugees and displaced persons dislocated by the war. The event was cosponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project. Click here to lean more.
Posted January 26, 2012
NEW! Update on GOP Presidential Nominees
Yesterday Somos Republicanos, the largest Hispanic Republican group in the country, announced its endorsement of Newt Gingrich as the best Republican candidate for 2012. In addition, last week Mitt Romney, the leading contender for the GOP presidential nomination, accepted the endorsement of Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and co-author of the recent immigration enforcement laws in Arizona and Alabama. This week marks the South Carolina primary, in which Gingrich, Romney, and the other three remaining contenders will vie for the state's delegates at the Republican Convention. Read more.
Posted January 24, 2012
NEW! HIAS Hosts Event on Refugees Mislabeled as Terrorists
On January 23rd, HIAS co-sponsored a lunch event in Washington, DC along with the law firm of Akin Gump, the Truman National Security Project, Human Rights First, and World Relief, called "Mislabeled as Terrorists: How Government Inaction Keeps Refugee Families Apart." Panelists discussed the continuing impact of the terrorism bars on the admission of refugees and asylum seekers to the United States. Learn more.
Posted January 24, 2012
NEW! HIAS Latin America Directors Participate in Congressional Briefing on Colombian Refugees
On December 14, Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) sponsored a briefing entitled "A Forgotten Crisis in Latin America: The Plight of Colombian Refugees in Ecuador and Panama." Colombia currently has an estimated 3.6-5 mililon internally displaced people and another half million Colombians have fled to neighboring countries like Ecuador and Panama. Without question, the plight of Colombian refugees in Ecuador and Panama presents immediate humanitarian and security challenges for the hemisphere. Enrique Burbinski, Director of HIAS Latin America; Sabrina Lustgarten, Director of HIAS Ecuador; and Therese Morel, UNHCR Representative for Colombia, spoke at the briefing. Learn more about HIAS' work in Latin America.
Posted January 17, 2012
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