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MIRA Coalition Blog

Featured MIRA Coalition Blog

Massachusetts 2026 Ballot Initiatives

Understanding the Midterm Ballot Initiatives for the 2026 Massachusetts General Election With the election this Tuesday, November 3rd, many Massachusetts voters have already decided on who they will vote for to fill legislative and executive seats across our government. However, elections also frequently provide an opportunity for the voting public to express their views directly … Continued

Advancing Policy Solutions for Immigrant Mental Health

Immigrant and refugee families in Massachusetts are carrying an enormous weight. Increased enforcement, the loss of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for many families, including many with children who are U.S. citizens, and constant federal policy shifts are taking a real toll on mental health. Meanwhile, people seeking help face long wait times, language gaps, insurance … Continued

The Impact of ICE Enforcement on Massachusetts Communities

How ICE enforcement operations have detrimentally affected our communities ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) enforcement operations under the second term of the Trump administration have detrimentally affected our communities, and the harm impacts everyone: citizens and lawful permanent residents as well as undocumented individuals across the United States.  For nearly two years, we have watched … Continued

Back To School Season Is Here – A Message from MIRA Coalition’s Access & Resource Specialist Catherine Ramirez Mejia, MPP

Blog MIRA Coalition Blog

  My youngest sister is returning to school this week to begin her senior year. It feels like yesterday she was beginning kindergarten. There’s a trend where seniors wear a backpack with the cartoon character from their childhood. She was trying to decide between a My Little Pony, Dora the Explorer, or Power Rangers backpack, … Continued

TPS Expiration: MIRA Stands with the Haitian and Syrian Communities Legal and Mental Health Resources

TPS Expiration: MIRA Stands with the Haitian and Syrian Communities – Legal and Mental Health Resources

MIRA Coalition Blog

“The expiration of Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians and thousands of Syrians living in the United States, a country many call home, is inhumane and immoral. MIRA’s position has not changed. Forcing people back to conditions of extreme danger and violence will rip families and communities apart, and we recognize the harm this … 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