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Author: Laura Perras

Featured Author: Laura Perras

Policy Updates – 9/17/26

With the administration’s new Public Charge rule set to go into effect on September 18, 22 states filed suit in federal court earlier this week in order to stop the rule. In their complaint, the states argue that the new rule “removes any meaningful guidance” regarding what USCIS officers may consider and that the administration … Continued

Hispanic Heritage Month: The Freedom We Carry Across Borders

En español The Freedom We Carry Across Borders contributed by Luciano Paskevicius, Lowell Alliance When people speak about Hispanic Heritage Month, the conversation often turns to food, music, language, and traditions. Those things matter, but for me, heritage lives somewhere deeper. It lives in the values and political ideas we carry from one generation to … Continued
Policy Update Federal

Policy Updates – 3/26/26

Policy Updates

News reports on Monday revealed a new threat to the Department of Justice’s Recognition and Accreditation (R&A) program. R&A is a decade’s old process through which non-attorneys associated with non-profits can apply for permission to practice immigration law. Staff may be accredited to practice immigration law if they can demonstrate that both the organization and … Continued

Spring Into Action A Day of Advoccacy and Community

Spring Into Action 2026: A Day of Advocacy and Community

Blog

“It is essential that we choose solidarity over tribalism. … We must choose community over chaos. Do not let them pit us against one another. Our freedoms and our destinies are tied. … This moment is not just for weathering the next 3 years. We are writing the next 100.” — Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Spring … Continued

Policy Update Federal

Policy Updates – 3/19/2026

Policy Updates

In a widely anticipated move, the Trump Administration has appealed Temporary Protected Status cases to the Supreme Court. This emergency appeal relates to prior court decisions, including a Circuit Court decision earlier this month, that barred the administration from ending TPS protections for an estimated 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. In prior appeals of TPS … Continued

Tell Your Legislators: Support the PROTECT Act!

Take Action Now – Pass the Protect Act

News

The human costs of the current administration’s mass deportation agenda continue to mount. 46 people have died in ICE custody since Trump took office, 17 from medical negligence. The administration has shifted tactics after the violence in Minneapolis – but deportations continue unabated – often with local help. ICE has secured 1,651 formal 287(g) agreements … Continued

Policy Update Federal

Policy Updates – 3/12/2026

Policy Updates

On Friday, a federal appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that the Trump Administration could not end TPS for the 350,000 Haitians living under the status in the US. The administration had appealed the early-February ruling, which had granted a last-minute reprieve to Haitians with TPS, to the US Court of Appeals in Washington, … Continued

Policy Update Federal

Policy Updates 3/6/2026

Policy Updates

In late January, the State of Missouri sued the Department of Commerce arguing that temporary and undocumented residents should not be counted in the Decennial Census. The state is not only looking to change how the department collects information for the 2030 Census, but are also seeking that the nation redo the 2020 Census under … Continued

The Shield Act

Senator Ed Markey Introduces The Shield Act

Blog Policy Updates

On Friday, Senator Ed Markey introduced the Securing Help for Immigrants Through Education and Legal Development (SHIELD) Act of 2026. If enacted, this bill would help build critical infrastructure and capacity to expand the availability of legal services for those facing deportation by: Patricia Sobalvarro, the Executive Director of Agencia ALPHA, and Liz Sweet, MIRA’s … Continued

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

MIRA Coalition Praises Senator Markey’s SHIELD Act to Protect Immigrant Rights 

News

BOSTON, MA –  In response to Senator Edward J. Markey announcing the introduction of the Securing Help for Immigrants Through Education and Legal Development (SHIELD) Act, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, issued the following statement: “We know, and have consistently witnessed throughout this administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants, … Continued