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| On July 4, H.R. 1 was signed into law. The legislation is expected to displace 11.8 million people from health care coverage. Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—federal funding for food benefits—will impact more than 2 million children.
The legislation also singles out refugees and forcibly displaced populations by cutting access to benefits that serve as a lifeline to new Americans. Before H.R. 1, lawfully-present noncitizens—including refugees, asylees, Afghan evacuees, and survivors of human trafficking—were eligible to receive healthcare and nutrition assistance. The legislation cuts back eligibility, impacting thousands of individuals, families, and children who are under humanitarian protection.
Click the button below to read the full explainer. |
| | | A Summer of Growth, Culture, and Connection: Ukrainian-American Cultural Exchange Camp Wraps Up in Cleveland
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| USCRI Cleveland, in partnership with Educational and Cultural Ukrainian American League (ECUAL), successfully concluded a four-week Cultural Exchange Summer Camp for Ukrainian refugee and parolee children. This unique program, officially registered through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, created a nurturing and enriching environment for children navigating a new life in the United States.
The camp, funded through a Ukrainian Refugee School Impact grant, was more than just a summer program—it was a vibrant space for learning and belonging. From the earliest planning stages to daily camp operations, the initiative reflected the care and collaboration of a dedicated team of educators, community partners, and volunteers, including over a dozen Ukrainian adults hired as short-term staff.
Each week was filled with dynamic, hands-on activities that celebrated both Ukrainian heritage and American culture. Campers learned traditional Ukrainian folk dances like vesnianky and haivky, played baseball and soccer, sang songs accompanied by the enchanting bandura, and cooked foods such as varenyky and American pies. They explored Cleveland’s cultural treasures through field trips to institutions like the Cleveland Public Theatre and the Cleveland Museum of Art, and learned about Native American traditions, ecology, and Ohio’s geography.
Click the button below to read the full blog post and view event photos. |
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| TPS Terminations Threaten Stability and Safety for Honduran and Nicaraguan Communities |
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| On July 7, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for both Honduras and Nicaragua. These terminations, both set to take effect on September 8, 2025, will put tens of thousands of Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals who sought safety in the United States at risk of losing lawful protection. The terminations threaten to tear apart families, destabilize communities, and force people—many of whom fled natural disasters and humanitarian crises—to return to countries still grappling with insecurity, violence, and limited infrastructure.
Click the button below to learn more |
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| Rising Starvation, Fading Attention: The Hunger Crisis in East Africa |
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| The world is experiencing a debilitating hunger and malnutrition crisis. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 319 million people across 67 countries are suffering from acute hunger, with 1.9 million enduring catastrophic levels that verge on famine. This crisis is the most severe in regions already impacted by conflict, political instability, and economic collapse. Sudan, Palestine, Haiti, Mali, and South Sudan have been designated as top priorities by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WFP due to their extreme food insecurity. Hunger also continues to escalate in Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, and Nigeria. The global hunger emergency is not just a humanitarian issue, it is a crisis that threatens the stability of entire regions, demands urgent international attention, and calls into question our global commitment to ending hunger for all.
Click the button below to learn more |
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| Local Soil, Global Flavors: Refugee Farmers Enrich Erie’s Harvest |
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| Refugees in Erie are working hard on their summer gardens, containing local produce like tomatoes, peppers, and green beans, as well as some associated with cooking in various parts of the world, such as white eggplants used in Congolese cooking and mini eggplants used in Syrian cooking. USCRI Erie has worked with the Refugee Agriculture Partnership Program (RAPP) since 2019, helping recently resettled refugees gain farming skills to improve their livelihoods and become economically self-sufficient. Through RAPP, participants receive training and support in areas like soil health, crop selection, food safety, and community-supported agriculture.
Click the button below to read the full blog post and view event photos. |
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| | | With you on our side, USCRI can support those who need it most. |
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| USCRI Blog:
How Humanitarian Funding Impacts Refugees |
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| Echoes of Home: Afghanistan - Part II |
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| Defining “Refugees” —An Exclusionary Legacy |
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| The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), established in 1911, is an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. |
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