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Author: Farah Jeune

Featured Author: Farah Jeune

Community Readiness in the Face of ICE Arrests

President Trump campaigned on a threat to deport one million immigrants from this country per year.  We saw an ongoing escalation of the numbers of immigrants targeted in Massachusetts throughout 2025 and continuing into early this year, but still well below deporting one million people.  However, this is beginning to change. Over this past year … Continued

Back to School: What Immigrant Families Should Know

As immigration enforcement increases across the country and protections such as Temporary Protected Status end for some countries, many immigrant families are living with fear and uncertainty. That fear is affecting whether some children make it to school. Recent data show that 17% of parents cited ICE activity near schools as a barrier to attendance. And that … Continued
MIRA MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION

Black boys deserve to grow old: In memory of Pierre Damas Bel written by MIRA’s Communications Specialist, Farah Jeune

Blog MIRA Coalition Blog

How Trump’s immigration policies are impacting the mental health of our immigrant community members #NationalSuicidePreventionMonth Written by MIRA’s Communications Specialist, Farah Jeune Last Monday, August 31st  Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year old student from Haiti, committed suicide by walking into traffic on an interstate highway in Springfield, Ohio. Pierre previously had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) … Continued

Celebrating three years of the Immigrant Assistance Services Program (IAS)

Blog MIRA Coalition Blog

MIRA has operated the Immigrant Assistance Services (IAS) Program since being awarded the contract in May 2023, serving families in Massachusetts Emergency Assistance (EA) shelters and temporary respite centers with immigration legal orientation, legal screeners, and pro se legal assistance. Over the course of three years, the IAS team adapted to the changing immigrant landscape … Continued

Justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo & Johan Sebastian Guerrero

Blog MIRA Coalition Blog

  Dear community, The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, our members, and our partners are grieving yet again. We are horrified that our own government has needlessly taken lives. On July 7, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas. Then, less than a week later, ICE … Continued

MIRA Coalition Responds to Deadly Shooting in Minneapolis by ICE Official 

News

BOSTON, MA –  In response to the tragic and lethal shooting in Minneapolis, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, issued the following statement: “There is simply no reason for ICE agents to be on the streets of our communities doing the job of local law enforcement or deploying militaristic tactics which only … Continued

H-1B Visa Holders Benefit Our Economy

H-1B Visa Holders Benefit our Economy

Blog

SEPTEMBER 2025 On September 18th, the Trump Administration caused confusion and panic for American businesses when it announced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B non-immigrant visas for skilled workers. The language of the proclamation signed on September 19th was muddled, leaving businesses, employees, and lawyers scrambling as they tried to figure out who the new … Continued

National Citizenship Day – September 17th

Blog

September 17th is National Citizenship Day. As we celebrate new Americans who have taken the step to become U.S citizens, we fully acknowledge the massive threats and fears facing immigrant communities across the nation, which makes obtaining U.S. citizenship increasingly challenging. With rapidly changing policies and the ongoing attacks on immigrants by the Trump administration, … Continued

State Legislators Must Take Action on Immigration: Pass the Safe Communities Act

Blog

Tell your state legislators where you stand—email them today. Takes less than 60 seconds! State Legislators Must Take Action on Immigration For eight years, Massachusetts lawmakers have had a chance to pass the Safe Communities Act. Eight years. Since the Trump administration rolled out its first wave of anti-immigrant policies in 2017, this bill has … Continued

Policy Update: Expedited Removal Temporarily Blocked 9/8/25

Policy Updates

On August 29th, a federal judge temporarily blocked the expedited removal of those who entered the country under parole.Under immigration law, expedited removal allows the government to deport those who entered without inspection within the previous 2 years. However the law also specifically excludes those who have been paroled into the country from being subject … Continued

STATEMENT: Border Deal

News

February 5, 2024 In response to last night’s release of the President and Senate’s compromise border deal, which proposes incredibly harmful and backwards policies such as streamlining deportations and shutting down the border, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, issued the following statement:     “This bill is inhumane and … Continued

STATEMENT: DACA Ruling

News

Boston, MA – In response to U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen’s ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful, but may remain in place as the policy works through the legal system, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition issued the following statement. “The most recent ruling on the … Continued