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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
BORTAC agents

Aggressive escalation of immigration enforcement will make Mass. less safe

News

On Friday we learned, through the media, that Border Patrol tactical units are being deployed in “sanctuary cities” across the U.S., including Boston, to assist Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents. Eva A. Millona, executive director of MIRA, has the following response: “We are very troubled and concerned about this escalation of immigration enforcement, which we … Continued

PIF poster image

Supreme Court clears path for harmful ‘public charge’ rule

News

BOSTON – Today the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a preliminary injunction that was blocking implementation of the “public charge” rule, thus enabling the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to begin applying the rule across the country (except Illinois, where a separate injunction still stands). “This is a devastating blow to working-class immigrants,” said Eva A. … Continued

Business owners make their case for the Safe Communities Act

News

At a legislative briefing, members of the Massachusetts Business Immigration Coalition said the climate of fear directly affects their workers, even though they have lawful status.  BOSTON, November 6, 2019 – Seana Gaherin and her husband have run Dunn Gaherin’s, in Newton, for 28 years, with a staff made up mainly of immigrants. They have … Continued

A victory for American values on ‘public charge’ – but the fight continues

News

BOSTON, October 11, 2019 – Today U.S. District Court Judge George B. Daniels issued a temporary injunction against the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule, preventing the rule from taking effect as scheduled on Oct. 15. The rule would define any immigrant who uses certain health, nutrition or housing programs as a “public charge,” and enables federal officials to turn … Continued

Refugees in transit

Amid a global displacement crisis, we must stand up for refugees

News

BOSTON, September 27, 2019 – The Trump administration has set a cap of 18,000 for refugee admissions in the fiscal year that begins next Tuesday. This is a record low for the modern U.S. refugee resettlement program – and less than one-fifth the average over the program’s four-decade history. As of Sept. 20, more than 29,800 refugees had been admitted to … Continued

Dr. Skarlleth Cuevas

Mass. takes key step towards making the most of immigrant medical talent

News

State’s FY2020 budget creates commission to address barriers to practice for foreign-trained health professionals, deploy them in high-need areas. BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2019 – A new commission created in the FY2020 state budget that Governor Baker signed this week will help address our Commonwealth’s critical shortages of medical providers by identifying best practices to license … Continued

MassCounts rally on the State House steps

‘We will not waver’: MIRA, community leaders respond to Census decision

News

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a partial victory to challengers of the citizenship question in the 2020 U.S. Census, saying the Secretary of Commerce was legally allowed to add the question, but calling his rationale “contrived” and unsupported by the evidence. The Court thus remanded the case, leaving it up to the Secretary to … Continued

MIRA, Dreamers and TPS holders hail historic U.S. House vote

News

The U.S. House of Representatives tonight approved the Dream and Promise Act, H.R. 6, which would provide permanent residency and a path to citizenship for more than 2.5 million immigrants across the nation, including over 45,000 in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts delegation was unanimous in its support, and as chair of the House Rules Committee, U.S. Rep. … Continued

Immigration proposal doubles down on hard-right positions

News

Today President Trump announced a new immigration proposal that reflects his long-standing priorities, including a shift from family-based to “merit-based” legal immigration, weakening of protections for asylum-seekers, and more investments in his border wall. Based on the details reported so far, MIRA Executive Eva A. Millona has the following comment: “The proposal outlined today offers … Continued