December 2025 Newsletter

Standing Up for Refugee Rights

At a recent rally in White Plains, community members gathered to support refugees and immigrants. Speakers included County Legislator David Imamura, local faith and advocacy leaders, and Frank Pierson from Neighbors for Refugees.  Please click here to read more about the rally and how Neighbors is standing up for those who need the most help, including a brief video.

Because refugees cannot safely appear at public rallies, Frank spoke on behalf of an Afghan family whose journey to safety was halted at the last moment. After fleeing to Pakistan and completing the long and rigorous U.S. visa process, the family was set to arrive in February—until their approved travel was canceled by the Presidential “pause” on refugee admissions. Nearly a year later, the pause remains and the family remains stranded in Pakistan.

With Pakistan now deporting Afghans back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the family lives in fear. They have no income and survive only through support from friends here.

Meeting Refugee Families’ Urgent Challenges

As we look ahead to a new year, Neighbors for Refugees remains committed to supporting refugees that we are resettling actively or have helped to settle in our communities since 2017.

This year has prompted a significant shift in our work—one made necessary by recent and increasingly aggressive federal government policies that threaten refugees’ and asylum applicants’ rights to live and work in the U.S.  The emotional and financial strain on refugee families is extraordinary and includes:

• Short-notice requirements to appear at ICE hearings, which are unrelated to and seem to ignore the fact that asylum applicants already have future immigration court dates to adjudicate their asylum application,

• Real risk of detention and deportation, and the

• Increasing risk that employers and landlords will shy away from refugees in the face of inflammatory political rhetoric.  Loss of employment or non-renewal of housing leases are increasing possibilities.

In response, we are focusing resources to support families already here, including many families whose financial independence and stable new lives may be undermined with very little notice. Significant financial resources are required for:

• Legal assistance – virtually any interaction with ICE or other government authorities requires immediate attorney representation to mitigate the very real threat of detention and deportation. Over the past two weeks, two of our resettled refugee families have received notices to meet with ICE. Attorney fees to prep for and participate in such meetings can cost thousands of dollars.

• Governmental fees -- have risen sharply – e.g., $550 for employment authorization for a shortened eligibility period plus $275 for each renewal.

• Food support – refugee eligibility for food stamps has been or will soon be eliminated.

• Rent and essential living expenses – families will require significant help if ICE detains the breadwinner.

• Medical expenses –  Refugees and asylum seekers will lose access to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in October 2026.

We have already refocused our budget and programming, including increased funding for legal services, forming a partnership with the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck to expand families’ access to attorneys, and raising funds to cover food, living expenses, and rent for families already in our network if and when they are detained of suffer a significant set-back. Our work will continue in 2026.

Prospects for Welcoming New Families

We do hope to resettle at least one new refugee family in 2026 – likely a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) family from Afghanistan. That said, the government has limited new refugee admissions in FY2026 to 7,500 (mostly Afrikaners from South Africa), in stark contrast to the 125,000 refugee limits in each of the past few years.  In FY2024, the U.S. actually admitted 100,000 refugees, whereas only 27,000 refugees were admitted in FY2025.

Join Us in Supporting Refugees

As we close out 2025, we invite you to make a tax-deductible donation to Neighbors to help bring safety, stability, and hope to refugee families in our community. Your support has a direct and immediate impact — more than 90% of every dollar goes directly to programs that help families defend their rights to be here, rebuild their lives, and to thrive as our neighbors. Your generosity today ensures we can continue providing vital services in 2026 and beyond. Please click here to donate.