Good afternoon & welcome to the Lab Brief.

As we close out the year, the Lab team has been reflecting on why we came together as a partnership. During the first Trump administration, we saw a need for there to be a place for coordination, strategy development, and capacity building for partners on the ground to communicate effectively about and advocate for policies that protect and include people who have been forcibly displaced. Clear-eyed on what’s to come, we find comfort in the fact that this movement is stronger, more organized, and more prepared than we were in 2016. The accomplishments we’ve had with our growing network of partners are a testament to this, and this work could not come at a more critical time. As we prepare for 2025, we look back on all we have been able to achieve this year to remind us that we can reach our goals, especially when we work together.

Let’s take a closer look.

Lab Highlights

#WELCOMINGREFUGEES 2025 CAMPAIGN

Nearly 500 bipartisan state and local elected officials from all 50 states sent President Biden a letter in September urging him to continue to invest in and strengthen the U.S. resettlement program. This group of leaders will be essential allies as we prepare to continue to champion the importance of refugee resettlement to local communities in the year to come.

Bahati Kanyamanza, Refugee Storytellers Collective member, IRAP Global Partnerships Director, and USRAB Advisor, and Adam Sadda, Refugee Congress Delegate and Refugee Storytellers Collective member, urged the Biden Administration to listen to these elected leaders and invest in refugee resettlement in Common Dreams and the Daily Reflector.

#LETASYLUMSEEKERSWORK CAMPAIGN

In October 2023, the Lab, Refugees International, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association brought together organizations from across the country to launch the #LetAsylumSeekersWork campaign. Closing out the year, our coalition has grown to more than 60 partner organizations across the advocacy, business, and faith communities, including key leadership from mayors and asylum seekers themselves.

More than 2,200 people have urged Congress to advance bipartisan legislation. Andreina Zuluaga, Refugee Congress Delegate and RSC member, explains in City Limits how critical work authorization is.

Over the course of the year, sign-on letters from faith-based communities, businesses, and non-profit organizations encouraging administrative action around work permit issues were delivered. In December, we were delighted to see the Biden Administration issue a final rule for a permanent work permit extension for 540 days, up from the previous 180.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING A REFUGEE

The Lab and Refugees International partnered with Data for Progress to release a new poll showing that a majority of U.S. likely voters support the U.S. refugee resettlement program, access to asylum at the U.S. southern border, and reducing the wait time for asylum seekers to access work permits. But when someone personally knows a refugee, that support increases dramatically. Critically, less than one fifth of Americans believe they know someone.

We must continue working to ensure that people who have experienced displacement are visible leaders driving the conversation about what it means to seek safety in the United States.

LAB 2024 RESOURCES

Defensive Toolkit

The Lab, International Refugee Assistance Project, International Rescue Committee, and the American Immigration Council published a new resource to be shared with trusted allies and partners to assist advocates, local resettlement agencies, and partners in the field to combat anti-refugee/asylum legislation in states.

Equitable Access

The Lab and Refugee Congress hosted a webinar discussing the different legal categories of forcibly displaced newcomers and what they mean in terms of access (or lack thereof) to support services, and strategies for advocating for policy changes at the state and local levels.

Storytelling Guide

The Lab, Refugee Congress, and the Refugee Storytellers Collective published a storytelling guide, providing key recommendations from seasoned leaders who have experienced forced displacement on what to consider when preparing to tell your story in a way that is impactful.

REFUGEE STORYTELLERS COLLECTIVE (RSC)

Refugee Storytellers Collective Website

The Collective has grown significantly since its launch in 2021 with 10 members to now more than 80 across the country. To reflect this growth and to showcase the amazing work of its members, the Collective launched a new website: www.refugeestorytellerscollective.org.

What It Means To Welcome Newcomers: We’re All In

In celebration of Welcoming Week 2024, members of the RSC hosted a webinar sharing reflections from their experiences finding belonging and advice to everyday Americans on how we can make sure our communities are all in on welcoming.

Storytellers Summit

In May, the RSC hosted its inaugural Storytellers Summit. Twenty-one Collective members from across the country came together to build community, identify shared visions and goals, discuss issues that directly impact refugee and newcomer communities, and learn how to advocate for change with their stories.

Wins On The Ground

In 2024, 150 bipartisan pro-refugee measures were introduced in state legislatures across the country. In Lab states, we saw several significant advances supported by champions on both sides of the aisle.

Our State Partners

International Medical Graduate (IMG) bills – legislation that makes it easier for internationally trained doctors to practice in the United States - made significant headway this year, and the Lab supported efforts in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. In Virginia, the bill advanced unanimously through the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Youngkin. In Georgia, the Governor’s Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission Report supported the need for the state to create “a pathway for foreign-trained practitioners to gain licensure in Georgia.”

Administrative and legislative changes were proposed this year to increase access to in-state tuition. In Georgia, the Lab supported a bill that would expand in-state tuition eligibility for forcibly displaced students with significant bipartisan support, and we were thrilled to see a policy change from the Georgia Board of Regents that expanded access to in-state tuition for Ukrainian and Afghan humanitarian parolees. In Oregon, the Lab’s Senior Policy Advisor Balqees Mihirig testified on tuition equity for students seeking asylum.

Legislation to support inclusive state infrastructure and funding were introduced in Oregon and Pennsylvania. In Oregon, the Lab supported a bill that would cover legal fees for new Oregonians as they seek to adjust their status. In Pennsylvania, bills in the House and Senate would establish an Office of New Pennsylvanians.

In Minnesota, Lab partner CVT started a new working group in partnership with mayoral offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul to pursue expanding work training access for asylum seekers.

Immigrant communities in Ohio were in the national spotlight this fall thanks to national electoral politics. To push back against discriminatory hate speech and lies, the Lab uplifted local voices, including two powerful champions from Columbus, where the Lab worked with Mayor Andrew Ginther and Chamber CEO Don DePerro on an op-ed in USA Today celebrating the refugee community there.

Advocacy Days and World Refugee Day events were hosted in Lab states across the country. Advocacy Days in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia brought together leaders with lived experience and community members to meet with their elected officials and encourage them to support inclusive policies. World Refugee Day celebrations took place in Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia alongside welcoming proclamations in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Harrisonburg, Virginia.

As we look toward 2025, the Lab and our partners will fight to protect and defend not only the immigrant and refugee community in our country, but the values we share. Much of this work will take place locally, and we are steadfast in our commitment to empower partners on the ground where it matters most.

Stay in Touch

Thanks for reading! Are you interested in state advocacy or Lab resources? Reach out.

The Refugee Advocacy Lab partners with varying groups on different activities, and as such, partnership with the Lab does not necessarily imply a partner’s support for any specific activity or policy. Similarly, the Lab does not necessarily support or endorse specific activities or positions of partner organizations.

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