Immigrant ARC Responds to Biden Announcement to Welcome 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees

The Biden administration announced just this morning that the United States would  welcome 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. In response, I-ARC – the Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative – issued the following statement:

“Both the Biden administration’s decision to offer protections for Ukrainian refugees as well as proposed changes to the asylum system are signals that the U.S. is returning to its role as a global leader and safe haven, while honoring our standing international obligations to protect persons displaced by war. However, there are still thousands of people around the world who we’ve made similar commitments to — and those to whom we should have — who are fleeing violence and waiting for a path to safety in this country, starting with Afghanistan. The crisis in Ukraine must lead to new immigration systems for how we protect and welcome the world’s most vulnerable and set a precedent for how our nation shows up in humanitarian crises,” said Camille Mackler, founder and Executive Director of I-ARC. “The Afghan crisis put pressure on an already overloaded and under-resourced refugee system and created new challenges that have left tens of thousands in legal limbo. I-ARC and its members and partners are ready to both help advise the administration on best pathways and procedures, as well as to organize services to help a maximum number of Ukrainians get to the U.S. safely”

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Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.