The Detrimental – But Conquerable – Effects of Undocumented Status on Women & Children

The current protocol for treatment in American immigrant detention centers takes a toll on people’s lives and mental health.  Women, in particular, are often exposed to sexual harassment and exploitation, and there are also many instances of suicide among women in such physically and emotionally trying circumstances. Detaining children and family detention in general has…
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Backlogs & Bureaucracy Are No Excuse for the U.S. to Fail Asylum-Seekers

Read out latest analysis on America’s broken immigration system and its failure to help forcibly displaced people worldwide, especially Syrian refugees up on The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/09/backlogs-bureaucracy-no-excuse-us-fail-asylum-seekers   A miles-long waiting list continues to plague immigration judges and keeps people who are fleeing war zones in limbo. The current migration crisis is the worst global refugee…
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Let’s All Agree to Stop Talking About Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been on everyone’s minds and lips since his contentious presidential candidacy announcement in June, which was, of course, his intention from the beginning. As he himself has said, “Controversy, in short, sells.” Trump’s constant stream of shockingly inflammatory nonsense is simply a well-managed campaign – and business – tool meant to garner…
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Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

Yemen flag. Image courtesy of Flickr user Nicolas Raymond. Effective September 3, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals, who have continuously resided in the United States since September 3, 2015, and have been continuously physically present in the U.S. since that date. Individuals who believe…
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In Europe, the Word ‘Migrant’ Is Not the Problem

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Takver Refugees are in vogue. As callous as that may sound, the group’s plight – or more accurately, their “flight” – no matter where in the world they come from, is receiving more international media attention than ever before. This is a good thing, if it eventually leads to long…
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Update: You May Now Qualify for the Provisional I-601A Waiver

USCIS Building in Orlando. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Benjamin Thompson. Immigration law can be extremely confusing and difficult to navigate, especially as reform policies are increasingly politicized in presidential campaigns. But despite all the media rhetoric, it appears as though there might be some good news afoot regarding immigration reform. On July 15, 2015,…
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Ecuador Leads By Example in the Great Global Migration Debate

Photo: Colombia Beat Ecuador will soon consider a groundbreaking new migration bill, which was presented to the National Assembly on July 16, 2015. The Organic Law of Human Mobility addresses the country’s various emigration and immigration waves and offers a new foundation on how to better understand people who relocate. Lawmaker Esteban Melo explained that…
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Refugees and Artificial Nation-Building: If We Build It, Will They Come?

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Takver. The global migration crisis continues to worsen, with displacement hitting an all-time high of 59.5 million people at the end of 2014. The humanitarian world is unable to keep up with the numbers, as violence and conflict also continues to soar worldwide. The usual proposed solutions for displacement typically…
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Out of the Closet and Out of the Shadows

Outside the Supreme Court moments before the Obergefell decision was issued. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Mattpopovich. Last month, members of the LGBT community extolled the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage across the country. The day was undeniably historic and will be remembered as a necessary benchmark in…
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