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Featured Tag: immigrant heritage month

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

Policy Updates – 10/15/2026

On September 30, the Massachusetts District Court issued an order staying certain provisions of an Interim Final Rule issued by the Trump administration regarding the collection of civil penalties for certain immigration-related violations.  Under the rule, DHS issued fines of up to $1.8 million to individuals for failure to depart. The court found that the … Continued

Cut Off From Care 

Thousands of Massachusetts Immigrants Lose Health Coverage Under New Federal Law Contributed by MIRA’s Access and Resources Specialist Catherine Ramirez Mejia On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the HR1 (referred to by the Trump administration as “One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3)”), introducing sweeping cuts to federal healthcare programs. Some restrictions, such as those on … Continued

Immigrant Heritage Month: Celebrating Strength by Smriti Rupaketi

Immigrant Heritage Month: Celebrating Strength by Smriti Rupaketi, MIRA’s People and Administration Specialist

Immigrant heritage month gives me a chance to look back on my journey and think about everything it took to get here. Behind every move to a new country is someone who has left behind families, friends and culture in hopes of finding new opportunities, stability and a better future.

I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal which is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia. In 2020, me, my husband and child made the decision to leave our home

The Courage to Begin Again by Gil Calderin

Honoring Immigrant Heritage Month: The Courage to Begin Again by Gil Calderin, MIRA’s Director of Advocacy

I want to begin by saying that I am a proud immigrant from Cuba. I am deeply grateful for the people who have walked alongside me on my life’s journey and for the opportunities that the United States continues to give me.

Nearly 30 years ago, my mother made an incredibly bold decision. She moved to the United States with me and without a dime in her pocket. She took a leap of faith that would forever change our lives.