Category Archives: Announcements

World Refugee Day

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#WithRefugees

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day. UNHCR is the UN’s refugee arm and responsible for refugee placement around the world. The past few years have been especially tumultuous for refugees. Refugee re-settlement in Europe and the United States has invoked resistance from Europeans and Americans. Syrian and Middle-Eastern refugee resettlement seemed promising in Germany, but Germany has since soured on allowing refugees and neighboring countries have been vociferously defiant in permitting resettlement. A multitude of problems in European countries have been blamed on refugees. Political parties that tout refugee restrictions have gained in popularity to unheralded heights. They have developed from fringe parties to moving the national dialogue and receiving substantial portions of votes. States in the United States have sued the federal government, demanding that refugees not be re-settled in their states. Migrants escaping from North Africa and the Middle East have been stranded at sea and drowned in the Mediterranean.

In the midst of worldwide controversy on refugee resettlement, the UN is celebrating World Refugee Day. Cities through the US are celebrating their local communities. For example, Columbus has a large Somali refugee population. Central New York is home to many refugees from the Yugoslav civil war. The UN is promoting stories of refugees who have seized their opportunities in their new countries and have excelled. The UN is also collecting signatures for a petition it will deliver to the UN General Assembly when it meets in New York City on September 19. The petition is requesting that governments around the world:

  • Ensure every refugee child gets an education

 

  • Ensure every refugee family has somewhere safe to live.

 

  • Ensure every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community.

Undocumented Valedictorian

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Undocumented Valedictorian Part II:

Valedictorian Reveals Status in Tweet

Mayte Lara Ibarra did not reveal her undocumented immigrant status in her valedictorian speech to her Texas high school. However, she sent a Tweet that announced herself as undocumented. Her Tweet celebrated her academic success: GPA, APs, honorariums, and full scholarship to the University of Texas (and a mention of her physical beauty).

She has received a social media avalanche – an outpouring of support and congratulations and vitriol and hatred. The University of Texas does not discriminate by resident status, so her academic scholarship remains in tack.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the DACA/DAPA case (U.S. v. Texas) by the end of the month. Its ruling will have ramifications for millions of undocumented individuals in the United States.

Undocumented Valedictorian

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Undocumented Valedictorian:

TX Valedictorian Reveals Undocumented Status During Speech

Larissa Martinez graduated from her Texas high school with a 4.95 GPA, 17 AP classes, and is receiving a full scholarship to Yale. During her valedictorian speech, she revealed that she is an undocumented immigrant. Her mother escaped with Larissa and her sister to the United States to escape her abusive alcoholic father. You can watch her speech here.

“I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of the United States,” said Larissa Martinez, the valedictorian at McKinney Boyd High School in McKinney, Texas during her June 3rd address to the 2016 graduating class. “I decided to stand before you today and reveal these unexpected realities, because this might be my only chance to convey the truth to all of you that undocumented immigrants are people too.”

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the DAPA/DACA case (U.S. v. Texas) by the end of the month. Its ruling will have serious ramifications for millions of undocumented individuals in the United States.

STEM List – 24 Month Extension

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SEVP Releases STEM 24 Months List

DHS recently published a rule allowing OPT students in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to extend their Optional Practical Training for 24 months. This is especially beneficial to OPT students who intend to stay in the USA and find post-graduate employment because it allows them more opportunity for the H-1B lottery. The H-1B visa is often the appropriate option for a recent graduate in a “specialty” occupation. All of the fields listed qualify as STEM and for the 24 months.

Another Border Surge

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Border Surge: Increase of Central Americans Seeking Asylum at US Border

Another surge of migrants is occurring at the United States border. The United States witnessed a tremendous surge in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border into the United States in the summer of 2014. The majority of these minor unaccompanied children came from Southern American countries that are beleaguered by violence, gang warfare, and lawlessness.

The article notes that the US is making extra efforts to discourage “irregular” migration. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson made a trip to Central American countries to warn people that the United States is not welcoming to it. A public relations campaign is underway in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to discourage future asylum seekers from entering the country. That is in addition to the detention centers that the government houses migrants in, which have received attention for subpar conditions.

Asylum is a difficult proposition for the majority of recent Central American arrivals, whose claims are often based on gangs. The US stresses that its message is “Don’t come. If you do and your asylum claims are denied, we will remove you.”