An Interview with Nasratullah Khalil Today’s episode features a conversation with Nasratullah Khalil. Khalil, as he prefers to be called, now lives and works in Syracuse, New York, but grew up in Afghanistan. In August 2021, Khalil and his family were forced into hiding after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. Since Khalil had worked for a U.S. military subcontractor, he was eligible for a Special Immigrant Visa. However, at the time that U.S. troops withdrew, his visa had not yet been granted. Thus he and his family, including four children under the age of 10, w ..read more

Articles 4/22/24, Sahan Journal, ‘Waiting for this opportunity’: Two Oromo refugees pay it forward by sponsoring a stranger through Welcome Corps 4/25/24, The Hill, Ballooning immigration detention enrages advocates 4/26/24, NPR, A year later, Florida businesses say the state’s immigration law dealt a huge blow 4/26/24, New York Times, Talk of an immigrant ‘invasion’ grows in Republican ads and speech 4/27/24, NPR, An Afghan migrant, aged 17, drowned in a Bosnian river. Here’s how citizens responded 4/27/24, Associated Press, Migration roils U.S. election. Mexico sees mass migration too, but ..read more

A contagion of “invasion” rhetoric is poisoning the atmosphere, as Republicans increasingly use this and similar words to stir up fears about immigration and the future of the U.S. As Jazmine Ulloa of the New York Times notes, in a few short years, “the word [invasion] has become a staple of Republican immigration rhetoric,” not only tolerated, but deployed repeatedly and to deeply harmful ends. Here’s the problem: This language dehumanizes people seeking safety. It aims to generate fear among Americans who may feel left behind for other reasons (such as corporate greed, systemic racism, or ra ..read more

Representing EMM, Sila Boz — Senior Program Officer for Matching Grant — recently attended the Second U.S. Business Summit organized by Tent Partnership for Refugees. (Sila is pictured above, in red, between Tent founder Hamdi Ulukaya and Tent U.S. Director Yaron Schwartz, along with several attendees from Amplio Recruiting.) Tent Partnership for Refugees was founded by Hamdi Ulukaya, Chairman and CEO of Chobani. You may have tasted the company’s delicious yogurt and other dairy products. Ulukaya grew up in a Kurdish dairy-farming family in Turkey, and brought his knowledge of how to make high ..read more

An Interview with Professor Rebecca Hamlin Today’s episode features Rebecca Hamlin, a professor of political science and legal studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Professor Hamlin’s research and teaching interests are centered on law and immigration. She has a special interest in understanding how people who cross borders are categorized under the law and in public discourse. In our discussion, Professor Hamlin explains her approach to teaching about global migration. She describes key turning points in the history of immigration in the U.S., and identifies factors that d ..read more

Articles 4/1/24, Inside NOVA, Immigrant to northern Virginia explains what it’s really like to cross the border 4/4/24, CBS News, Judges orders Border Patrol to quickly relocate migrant children from open-air sites in California 4/4/24, New York Times, Sexual assault of migrants in Panama rises to level rarely seen outside war 4/5/24, Time Magazine, Texas is trying to upend who controls U.S. immigration policy 4/5/24, Denver7, ‘Just arriving is a brave act’: Immigration expert details struggles, Denver’s response to crisis 4/5/24, NBC News, National Hispanic leaders slam ‘false narrative’ ab ..read more

Articles 3/29/24, CNN, Volunteer defends helping vulnerable migrants on Arizona’s perilous southern border 3/29/24, Associated Press, Many Americans say immigrants contribute to economy but there’s worry over risks, AP-NORC poll finds 3/29/24, Texas Tribune, Migrants with disabilities struggle to access the U.S. asylum system, advocates say 3/30/24, New York Times, How African immigrants have revived a remote corner of Quebec 4/1/24, NPR, Some Nebraska manufacturers provide training to migrant workers to address labor shortage 4/1/24, New Humanitarian, In-depth: Israeli attempt to circumvent ..read more

Articles 3/20/24, Journal of Oak Park, A village of volunteers supports migrant men 3/21/24, El Paso Times, See moments of ‘Do Not Be Afraid’: March and Vigil for Human Dignity 3/22/24, Religion News Service, Threats to Catholic Charities staffers increase amid far-right anti-migrant campaign 3/23/24, PBS News, Immigrant workers face routine injuries, lack of protections on U.S. dairy farms 2/25/24, New York Times, ‘Yo soy la mama’: A migrant mother’s struggle to get back her son 3/25/24, NBC Boston, Massachusetts adding new requirements for migrants 3/26/24, The Hill, Texas border law plagu ..read more

Dear friends, In the summer of 2022, The Episcopal Church passed General Convention Resolution D045: “On Supporting LGBTIQ+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers.” The resolution called on the Church to focus attention on “persons forced to seek refugee or asylee status because they fear being persecuted based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sex characteristics” through advocacy and also asked Episcopal Migration Ministries to “highlight the issues surrounding LGBTQI+ refugees and asylees and offer information on ways of support, including … for example, in their T ..read more

How much do you know about Episcopal Migration Ministries? Are you familiar with its history or what it does in the world today? As global migration continues to expand, in response to wars, violence, political turmoil, and climate change, so must our understanding of and responses to human needs grow and deepen.   EMM is one of ten agencies that contract with the federal government to oversee refugee resettlement across the U.S. through a network of organizations and community partners. EMM is also a foundational ministry of The Episcopal Church, offering opportunities for individuals, c ..read more