When the System Shifts: How HIAS Supports Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the U.S. HIAS is working around the clock to support refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. as Trump attempts to dismantle resettlement.

Refugees & asylum seekers in the U.S. are navigating a precarious landscape, where shifting policies and unpredictable systems undermine their safety.

Every hour brings new challenges, and we refuse to let anyone face them alone.

Read more about our work with refugees & asylum seekers in the U.S.:

After Three Years of Conflict, Sudanese Refugees Forge News Lives in Chad Three years into the war in Sudan, 14 million people have been displaced—including into Chad, where HIAS helps Sudanese refugees rebuild.

Three years into Sudan's civil war, Chad is sheltering 1.8 million displaced people. Severe cuts to U.S. and European humanitarian funding over the past year have further strained an already overstretched system.

And still, women like Fatna and Zam-Zam are rebuilding:

"Yom HaShoah calls us to do more than mourn. It asks us to remember — not just suffering, but resilience.

Remembering my grandfather's story & others like it, is not only an act of memory. It's a commitment: to ensure that the door to safety stays open & that no one has to face the world alone."

The recent rhetoric from the U.S. government threatening that "a whole civilization will die tonight" is horrifying and unacceptable.

Since the beginning of the war, innocent civilians have already paid a heavy price — thousands being displaced, injured, and killed.

Let us be clear ⤵

U.S. welcomed us when we fled persecution; now it's closing doors In his remarks at the United Nations in 2019, President Donald Trump said victims of religious persecution would have a place in the United States. But behind the scenes, something has changed.

In his remarks at the United Nations in 2019, President Donald Trump affirmed that “America will always be a voice for victims of religious persecution everywhere” and to those victims, “you have a place in the United States.”

But behind the scenes, something has changed:

Birthright Citizenship: What You Need to Know Learn about the importance of birthright citizenship in the U.S. and around the world as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments this week.

On April 1, oral arguments began in Trump v. Barbara — the case challenging Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. The decision could have an immediate impact on non-citizen families across the U.S.

We're breaking down birthright citizenship, why it matters & what's at stake:

Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Trump v. Barbara.

We're honored to join 57 faith-based organizations representing Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, in an amicus brief for the case, emphasizing the moral issues at stake in removing birthright citizenship.

Our social media manager is out but this reminder couldn't wait.

No matter where you're from — every single one of us deserves to live in safety and with dignity.

Supreme Court weighs who can claim asylum in case originating in San Diego The case, which has reached the highest court, could determine whether migrants must be on U.S. soil to claim asylum.

“The MS St. Louis carrying Jewish refugees coming from Germany was parked off the coast of Miami and was eventually turned back. And nearly all of the people on that ship were killed in the Holocaust. This case echoes so much of that.”

HIAS Welcomes Court Decision Blocking Unlawful Detention of Refugees HIAS welcomes tonight’s court decision blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to detain tens of thousands of refugees who were lawfully admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Some good news 🎉 last night, a federal court decision blocked the Trump admin’s attempt to detain tens of thousands of refugees who were lawfully admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Thank you to our amazing partners @democracyforward.org & @irap.bsky.social for their efforts:

As DHS deploys ICE agents to airports across the country with little to no training to support TSA staff, it's unclear whether the new mandate will also include immigration enforcement.

This does not make us safer.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

From London to Los Angeles, Refugee Shabbat Inspires Hope and Action Jews from around the world joined HIAS for our eighth annual Refugee Shabbat, demonstrating their support and solidarity with refugees.

“Refugee Shabbat gives us an opportunity to celebrate the inspiring actions of Jewish communities around the world, who are stepping up to respond in real time to these new realities."

Read how people across the world showed up this Refugee Shabbat:

HIAS Helps Women’s Agribusiness Collective Expand in Ecuador HIAS Ecuador helps refugees and host communities build sustainable livelihoods.

Displaced women face some of the highest risks of exploitation and economic insecurity. But given the right support, they also build some of the most resilient futures.

The women of INTIVA know that better than most — and their story is proof:

The news of the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI is nothing short of terrifying.

Our hearts are with the greater Detroit community & our friends at Temple Israel, who are in shock today as another antisemitic attack on a Jewish institution and Jewish way of life makes headlines.

Over 1,100 American clergy across all Jewish denominations unite to stand with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.

Together, they affirm our core Jewish values that declare our responsibility for the dignity, humanity and rights of ALL who dwell within our borders.

Keeping communities safe, especially our immigrant & refugee neighbors, is what should be most important to any government official.

We call on all leaders in this admin, including the incoming Secretary, to lead with respect & dignity for the most vulnerable across our country.

Civilians across the Middle East are living in fear as ongoing conflict puts countless lives at risk.

We're closely monitoring the impact on our staff & clients at HIAS Israel and around the world. Our hearts are with civilians throughout the region as we fervently hope for a more peaceful future.

Four Years of War: Four Stories of Ukrainians Recovering Against All Odds After four years of war, HIAS and our partners are still helping Ukrainians.

Since war broke out in 2022, 5.6 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee. 3.7 million more are displaced within the country.

Through it all, our teams and partners have been there for support hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Ukrainians & Ukrainian refugees →

New DHS memo outlines plan to detain refugees for further vetting Resettlement organizations said the updated guidance represents a dramatic shift in how refugees are treated after being legally permitted to enter the United States.

“This memo, drafted in secret and without coordination with agencies working directly with refugees, represents an unprecedented and unnecessary breach of trust,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS, one of the oldest refugee agencies in the country and the world.

HIAS Decries USCIS Memo Threatening Refugees with Arrest and Detention HIAS decries a new memo from USCIS that will subject certain recently arrived refugees to mandatory arrest and detention.

“I have never seen anything like this in my 25 years of refugee protection work."

A new memo from USCIS plans to subject certain recently arrived refugees to mandatory arrest & detention. The move puts thousands at risk, after being welcomed to the U.S. with a promise of protection.

Read more:

HIAS Files Amicus Brief in Noem v. Al Otro Lado to Defend the Right to Seek Asylum HIAS filed an amicus brief in Noem v. Al Otro Lado, urging the Supreme Court to reject policies that block people from seeking asylum.

“The human cost of denying entry is not theoretical. It is measured in lives disrupted, endangered, and sometimes lost. The court must uphold the clear promise in U.S. law: that those who reach our ports of entry have the right to ask for protection,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO.

Read our statement:

This just in 🚨 We filed an amicus brief in Noem v. Al Otro Lado, urging the Supreme Court to reject “turnback” policies that unlawfully block people from seeking protection at ports of entry.

Seven Ways You Can Take Action for Immigrants Learn seven ways you can take action to help immigrants in the United States.

Join us in fighting for a world where everyone can live in safety and freedom. Learn more about ways you can take action: hias.org/news/seven-w...

Yesterday, HIAS proudly joined dozens of Jewish organizations in Washington, D.C. to protest immigration enforcement tactics that have brutalized whole communities, and left immigrants and refugees in terror across the country.

HIAS is a proud to be a plaintiff in this lawsuit, fighting for the safety of tens of thousands of refugees who have been left stranded around the world.

HIAS was honored to participate in the International Religious Freedom Summit to raise awareness about the plight of refugees around the world who have been forced to flee their homes because of religious persecution.

Sudan’s forgotten war and the world's aid failure | The Jerusalem Post Freed hostages, starving children, overwhelmed doctors – Sudan’s war deepens as funding dries up and help falls short

“Massive budget cuts are making things very difficult. The number of refugees is increasing, people keep coming, and agencies don’t have enough means to cater to the refugees arriving,” HIAS director of operations in Chad, Adrien Kanyangusho said.

430+ Organizations Call on Congress to Pass Meaningful Protections for Families, including Sensitive Locations | CLASP Today, 430+ national, state, and local organizations signed onto a letter urging Congress to protect these sensitive locations as it negotiates DHS funding.

As Congress continues to debate immigration enforcement funding, HIAS joins over 400 organizations in calling on them to reestablish the historically bipartisan policy that limits immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools, childcare facilities, hospitals, and places of worship.

Opinion | The Demise of U.S.A.I.D. Was a Warning The brutality of U.S.A.I.D.’s closure and the disregard for the human toll betrayed a vision of a crueler, meaner, more insular world.

“The brutality of U.S.A.I.D.’s closure and the disregard for the human toll betrayed a vision of a crueler, meaner, more insular world — one in which America aspires not to any pretense of moral leadership but simply to naked power,” writes Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International.

We are particularly grateful for Judge Reyes' powerful condemnation of the hateful rhetoric targeting Haitians and will continue to stand with the community as the legal fight continues.