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Author: miraadmin

Featured Author: miraadmin

Community Readiness in the Face of ICE Arrests

President Trump campaigned on a threat to deport one million immigrants from this country per year.  We saw an ongoing escalation of the numbers of immigrants targeted in Massachusetts throughout 2025 and continuing into early this year, but still well below deporting one million people.  However, this is beginning to change. Over this past year … Continued

Back to School: What Immigrant Families Should Know

As immigration enforcement increases across the country and protections such as Temporary Protected Status end for some countries, many immigrant families are living with fear and uncertainty. That fear is affecting whether some children make it to school. Recent data show that 17% of parents cited ICE activity near schools as a barrier to attendance. And that … Continued

STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Celebrates Passage of Question 4

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  Boston, MA – In light of November 8, 2022, State Election, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition issued the following statement: “The MIRA Coalition is thrilled, but not surprised, that the people of Massachusetts have overwhelmingly voted Yes on 4 for Safer Roads. We are incredibly glad … Continued

STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Condemns White Supremacist Protest in Kingston, MA

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  STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2022 Boston, MA – In response to the October 30 white supremacist protest against recent refugee arrivals in Kingston, MA, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition issued the following statement: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the white supremacist protests … Continued

STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Condemns Biden Administration Expansion of Title 42

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STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2022 Boston, MA – In response to the Biden Administration’s move to expand Title 42 restrictions to Venezuelan migrants, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition issued the following statement: “We are deeply disappointed by the Biden administration’s decision to expand the racist, … Continued

STATEMENT: Advocacy Groups Praise the Biden Administration for Protecting Access to Services for Immigrants

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BOSTON – Representatives from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), Health Care For All (HCFA), and Health Law Advocates (HLA) have come together to support the Biden Administration’s move to update the federal Public Charge rule, which will ensure that immigrants seeking green cards can access public benefits … Continued

STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Praises Biden Administration Action on DACA

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Boston, MA – In response to the Biden Administration‘s move to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition issued the following statement: “We are appreciative that the Biden administration is embracing and protecting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy by working to transform it into federal regulation. Transforming DACA into a federal regulation helps to protect the … Continued

Driving Families Forward Coalition leaders with legislative champions at historic signing ceremony for the Work and Family Mobility Act on June 13, 2022.

State Legislative Session Ends, with Victories and Advances for Immigrants and Refugees

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The state legislature gaveled out just after 10am Monday, effectively ending the two-year session. While we’re disappointed with legislative inaction on key bills, we celebrate the major victories that demonstrate the growing political power of immigrant communities on Beacon Hill. Here’s a roundup of this session’s legislative advances for the Commonwealth’s immigrants and refugees, brought … Continued

doctors in operating theater

How Immigration Can Bolster Our Overstretched Medical System

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H Massachusetts has a well-deserved reputation as a national leader in healthcare and medical research. Despite this, our medical system has also found itself overstretched with the demands placed upon it by the COVID-19 pandemic and other structural factors. One way to improve healthcare delivery is to provide a pathway to practice for internationally-trained health … Continued

STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Praises End of Harmful “Remain in Mexico” Policy

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STATEMENT: MIRA Coalition Praises End of Harmful “Remain in Mexico” Policy Boston, MA – In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Biden v. Texas, which allows the Biden administration to terminate the Migrant Protection Protocols (better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy), Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition Executive Director Elizabeth Sweet issued the following statement: “We are … Continued

state house cover photo

Tell MA Lawmakers: Language Access and Safe Communities Matter!

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Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Language Access and Safe Communities! With a little over a month left in the Massachusetts State House legislative session, there are two major pieces of legislation remaining that hold critical importance for immigrants and their allies in the Commonwealth. We need your help to push them over the finish … Continued

Marking a Historic Win for our Immigrant Community

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Last week, the Massachusetts House and Senate both voted to override the Governor’s veto on the Work and Family Mobility Act. This means that Massachusetts is now officially the 17th state to pass driver’s license legislation! Email your State Legislator(s) today to thank them for voting to override the Governor’s veto. MIRA would like to express … Continued