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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
Thank you Mayor Wu

Congressional Hearing and Rally for Mayor Wu at City Hall

Blog

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spent six hours yesterday testifying before the House Oversight Committee on the city’s Trust Act, which limits the city’s involvement in the enforcement of federal civil laws and helps to promote cooperation between police and the city’s diverse communities. Much of Wu’s testimony was devoted to pushing back on false and … Continued

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Press Statement: Researchers and Advocates Secure $350,000 Grant to Advance Pro-Immigrant Narrative Change, Improve Immigrant Well-Being Two-year narrative research program will help drive pro-immigrant policy reform

News

Press Statement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2025 Researchers and Advocates Secure $350,000 Grant to Advance Pro-Immigrant Narrative Change, Improve Immigrant Well-Being Two-year narrative research program will help drive pro-immigrant policy reform Boston, MA – To promote positive, accurate stories about immigrants in Massachusetts, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded a $350,000 grant to the … Continued

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Press statement: MIRA Coalition Condemns President Trump’s Planned National Language Executive Order (with links to Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Spanish translations)

News

PRESS STATEMENT For Immediate Release February 28, 2025 Boston, MA – In response to President Trump’s planned executive order making English the country’s national language and eliminating requirements that agencies and other recipients of federal funds offer language assistance to non-English speakers, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, … Continued

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Press Statement: MIRA Coalition Condemns Trump Administration’s Planned Immigrant Registry (with links to Portuguese & Haitian Creole translations)

News

Boston, MA – This week the Trump administration announced their plan to require all immigrants without status over the age of 14 to register with the U.S. Government and provide fingerprints or risk criminal prosecution. In response, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, issued the following statement: “Forcing … Continued

Policy Update Federal

MIRA’s Registration Guidance

Policy Updates

On Monday, USCIS launched a new webpage explaining “Alien Registration”, the first step in fulfilling the president’s order to register all non-citizens in the United States. This process is still in the early stages, and little is known outside of what is contained on the USCIS webpage, including how registration is expected to occur or … Continued

Thank you Mayor Wu

Courage and Resistance – Join us to support Mayor Wu March 5

Blog

There’s been a lot of “bad news” since January 20th. In better news this week: Chelsea and Somerville filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to coerce them into participating in mass deportation efforts. Represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, the Cities assert that the Administration’s heavy-handed tactics—threatening to strip sanctuary cities of … Continued

Good News (yellow sun coming out from behind grey cluds)

2/26/25 The Good News

Good News

On Monday, a federal judge in Maryland issued a very limited preliminary injunction restricting ICE enforcement actions at houses of worship. The injunction only applies to the plaintiffs – a coalition of Quaker, Baptist, and Sikh organizations – and essentially revives the Biden Administration’s Sensitive Locations memo only for their houses of worship. A coalition … Continued

Policy Update Federal

2/26/25 Federal Policy Update

Policy Updates

The House GOP passed their budget resolution on Tuesday by a vote of 217-215 after a day of confusion that included initially cancelling the vote, then reversing course 20 minutes later to call representatives back to hold the vote. Although just an outline for an eventual federal budget, the resolution calls for a $4.5 Trillion … Continued

Policy Update TPS for Haitians 2/21/25 MIRA

TPS for Haitians Policy Update 2/21/25

Policy Updates

Administrasyon Trump la te diminye ekstansyon ki pi resan pou TPS pou Ayisyen yo soti nan 18 mwa pou rive nan 12 mwa. The Trump Administration has shortened the most recent extension of TPS for Haitians from 18 months to 12 months. A Administração Trump diminuiu a extensão mais recentede TPS ( status de proteção … Continued

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Statement 02/20/2025 MIRA Coalition Condemns Trump Administration’s Elimination of Temporary Protected Status for Half a Million Haitian Immigrants

News

MIRA Coalition Condemns Trump Administration’s Elimination of Temporary Protected Status for Half a Million Haitian Immigrants Boston, MA – In response to the Trump administration’s plan to end Temporary Protected Status in August for up to 500,000 Haitian immigrants – thousands of whom reside in Massachusetts – Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee … Continued