U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

VIDEO: HIAS’ Mark Hetfield and Melanie Nezer Brief Foreign Press Members

Sep 15, 2016

Ahead of two momentous summits on the global refugee crisis, HIAS CEO and Pres Mark Hetfield and VP of Policy and Advocacy Melanie Nezer briefed foreign press at the New York Foreign Press Center of the U.S. Dept. of State.

Hitting Important Milestone, U.S. Resettles 10,000th Syrian Refugee

Aug 29, 2016

The U.S. will reach an important milestone this week for refugees. The Obama Administration announced today that it will meet its goal of welcoming at least 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of September, part of its response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria created by years of an unrelenting civil war.

The Forward: Could Trump’s ‘Ideological’ Test Bar Orthodox Jews and Israelis?

Aug 16, 2016

“As Jews, we feel called to oppose policies which would bar a person based on their faith or where they come from,” Nezer said. “We have full confidence in the U.S. government’s commitment to keeping our country safe, and we cannot allow xenophobia and fear to drive our policies.”

HIAS CEO Warns US is "Falling Short" on Refugee Protection in Letter to New York Times

May 31, 2016

In a letter to the editor published online on May 31 and in print on June 1 by the New York Times, HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield takes a critical look at the Obama administration's record on refugee protection.

HIAS Statement to the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

May 19, 2016

Comments regarding the U.S. refugee admissions program for fiscal year 2017, submitted by HIAS to the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
FY2017 Budget (Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images)

What Does the President’s Budget Mean for Refugees?

Feb 09, 2016

Even though it may feel like 2016 has just begun, the federal appropriations process for 2017 is already underway. President Obama revealed his budget request today, and deep within the charts and appendices lies his plan for refugees.

In the News: #1000Rabbis Urge U.S. to Welcome Refugees

Dec 03, 2015

“More than 1,000 rabbis in the United States signed onto a letter urging elected officials in the country to ‘exercise moral leadership for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program’,” as The Washington Post reports today.

Waiting Two Years for Resettlement Isn’t Really Rescue

Jun 25, 2015

HIAS Vice President for Policy and Advocacy Melanie Nezer was quoted in a June 25 article in The Forward which reported on Jewish groups efforts to change US Government refugee resettlement policy, particularly to alleviate the current bottleneck in resettlement of Syrian refugees.

A Call for the U.S. to Resettle More Syrians as Part of Multifaith Effort

Oct 29, 2014

Our elected officials have been on Capitol Hill for only a handful of days since August and there has been no legislation to help alleviate the largest refugee crisis of this era.

Providing Unaccompanied Children with Legal Representation

Aug 14, 2014

Legal representation is the greatest unmet need for these kids and HIAS is providing legal services to these children and is giving their cases our highest priority.

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