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Tag: MIRA coalition blog

Featured Tag: MIRA coalition blog

Policy Updates – 10/22/2026

DHS indefinitely extended TPS for Ukraine and Sudan on Monday; those with protections will retain status for the time being. TPS for these countries was set to expire on October 19, but the agency declined to announce any decision on the future of over 100,000 people impacted, only saying that an announcement “will be made … 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

TPS for Ukraine and Sudan still valid

TPS for Ukraine and Sudan still valid Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections are still in effect for TPS holders from Ukraine and Sudan. The TPS designation for Ukraine and Sudan was set to expire on October 19, 2026. However, the Trump Administration has not announced whether the designation will be terminated or extended. Until further … Continued

Cut Off From Care 

MIRA Coalition Blog

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

Haitina history in Massachusetts, and the impact of the Supreme Court's decision to end TPS

Haitian History in Massachusetts, and the Supreme Court’s Decision to End TPS: A Home for Generations, Now Under Threat

Blog

Haitian immigrants have been an important part of Massachusetts culture and community for more than 65 years. The first wave arrived in the late 1950s and 1960s, professionals and intellectuals fleeing repression under the Duvalier dictatorship. A larger wave followed after 1980, and the community has grown steadily ever since, first centered around St. Leo … Continued

Learning To Be At Home by Yoana Kuzmova

Learning to be at Home by Yoana Kuzmova, MACI Senior Staff Attorney

Blog

In 2026, immigrant heritage month is a welcome reminder of the unquestionable reality of an immigrant heritage for the vast majority of this country’s citizens. Recognitions like it are part of what makes Massachusetts home to me. Being an immigrant, along with migration’s banal calculus of survival and striving for upward social mobility, have marked … Continued

Seeking Safety and Belonging: Challenges in LGBTQ+ Immigrant Rights

Seeking Safety and Belonging: Challenges in LGBTQ+ Immigrant Rights

Blog

LGBTQ+ immigrants navigate an intersection of marginalization, including high rates of discrimination, elevated risks of abuse within the immigration detention system, family separation and increased levels of stress and isolation while trying to access legal protections. These dual stigmas often amplify the multiple and compounded traumas they experience in their countries of origin and isolation upon arrival in the United States.

Immigrant Heritage Month: Celebrating Strength by Smriti Rupaketi

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

Blog

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

Blog

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.