HIAS Supports the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009

Posted on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 17:56 pm

(New York, NY) – HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, supports the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act. This important legislation acknowledges that immigrants want to learn English, become citizens, and participate fully in their adopted country, but frequently are unable to do so because the programs they need are underfunded or non-existent.

“HIAS supports this act because each day we witness the human consequences of the federal government’s ongoing failure to

HIAS Receives Top Rating from Charity Navigator: Proof that donors’ trust in HIAS is well placed

Posted on Wed, Jul 08, 2009 at 16:45 pm

(New York, NY) – HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, highly regarded in the philanthropic world for its data-driven analysis that rates charitable organizations on their ability to efficiently manage and grow the organization's finances. According to Charity Navigator, approximately a quarter of the charities evaluated receive this, their highest rating.

According to Ken Berger, President of Charity Navigator, receiving four out of a possible

HIAS Uses its Expertise to Facilitate Reunion of Darfuri Refugee Family in U.S.

Posted on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:39 am

(New York, NY)–  A four-year-old Darfuri girl, who has languished in a displaced person camp in Sudan without her mother and father for most of her life, arrived in New York yesterday morning, where she was reunited with both parents. Wesal Adam’s arrival signaled a happy ending to her parents’ years-long struggle to bring her here to live together as one family. HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, was instrumental in obtaining permission for her to

Reuniting Families Act Upholds Family Unity in U.S. Immigration System

Posted on Thu, May 21, 2009 at 10:05 am

(Washington, D.C.) – HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, applauds yesterday’s introduction of the Reuniting Families Act into the United States Senate.

If enacted, the bill, sponsored by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Charles Schumer (D-NY), would decrease waiting times for close family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents joining their families in the U.S. In some cases, spouses and young children are separated for years from

HIAS Commends New ICE Guidelines

Posted on Fri, May 01, 2009 at 14:06 pm

Strongly Urges Swift Comprehensive Immigration Reform

(New York, NY) – HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, commends the new guidelines published yesterday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, as a step in the right direction. The guidelines call for field agents conducting immigration raids to give heightened focus to employers who violate immigration laws.
According to Gideon Aronoff, President & CEO of HIAS and Chairman of the National

HIAS Applauds Convening of Senate Immigration Hearings

Posted on Fri, May 01, 2009 at 14:03 pm

(New York, NY)–  HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, is gratified that the Senate held hearings on immigration this week, and thanks Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, for scheduling “Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How.”

According to Gideon Aronoff, President & CEO of HIAS and Chair of the National Immigration Forum, the leading immigrant advocacy organization in the United States:
“We strongly

Progress by Passover -- Press Conference Videos

Posted on Mon, Apr 06, 2009 at 18:00 pm

HIAS President and CEO Gideon Aronoff speaks of the success of the Progress by Passover campaign and our next steps.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler joins the Progress by Passover press conference to voice his strong support for immigration reform.

Reform Rabbi Amy Schwartzman from Falls Church, Virginia, speaks of the Jewish mandate to welcome the stranger.

Conservative Rabbi Morris J. Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation in the Twin Cities

Rabbis from all 4 Major Streams of Judaism and Congressmen Call on Congress and Administration to Pass Immigration Reform

Posted on Thu, Apr 02, 2009 at 14:57 pm

Progress by Passover, the Jewish grassroots immigration campaign, delivers thousands of petition signatures to the White House calling for immigration reform and not raids

(Washington, DC)– Armed with thousands of petitions, leaders from all four streams of Judaism called today for just and compassionate immigration reform. Representatives of Progress by Passover, a grassroots national Jewish campaign for immigration reform, strongly urged the administration and Congress to overhaul the broken immigration system, rather than relying exclusively on raids and other enforcement tactics

Broad Jewish Community Support Leads to Call for Immigration Reform in 2009

Posted on Wed, Apr 01, 2009 at 15:01 pm

Representatives of all four streams of Judaism applaud DHS Reevaluation of Raids and Deliver Petition to White House Asking for the President’s Support for Humane Immigration Laws

(Washington, DC)– Jewish leaders and rabbis from all four major streams of Judaism will come together on April 2 in Washington, DC to deliver thousands of petition signatures that recognize the harm raids have caused to our communities and stress the urgency of passing immigration reform. In light of recent positive remarks from the

HIAS Applauds Extension of Two Laws that Aid Jewish Community: "Lautenberg Amendment" and Religious Worker Visa Program

Posted on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 15:14 pm

(New York, NY)– HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, applauds the extension of two pieces of legislation this week that positively impact the Jewish community in this country.

With his signing into law of the omnibus spending bill on Wednesday, the President extended the “Lautenberg Amendment,” the provision of law that facilitates the processing of refugee applications for Jews, Evangelicals, Christians, and several other categories of individuals from the Former Soviet Union, in addition to Jews, Baha’is,