A Year Later, Resettlement of Syrian Refugees Remains an Urgent Priority

This paper is the result of desk research and of IRAP’s legal work with Syrian clients throughout the civil war and especially over the past year (December 2024 – December 2025, during which we counseled and/or represented approximately 781 clients from Syria). It examines the following questions: Do conditions in Syria over the past year, now, and as they are likely to be in the near future, justify the significant reduction of resettlement targets for Syrians and parallel emphasis on voluntary repatriation over other durable solutions by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)? And do conditions in Syria justify decisions by resettlement countries to significantly reduce resettlement admissions targets for Syrian refugees, exclude Syrians from relocation programs, and end other forms of protection for Syrians, including for those facing the highest protection risks?

BIA vs. Federal Courts: Supreme Court Takes Up Urias-Orellana Asylum Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, Urias-Orellana v. Garland, 121 F.4th 327 (1st Cir. 2024), a case that could have far-reaching consequences for asylum law and the way federal appellate courts review immigration agency decisions.

CBP One Parolees

This article explains what is currently happening with immigration enforcement for people who entered the United States on parole through a CBP One appointment at the U.S.-Mexico border. Available in French, Haitian Kreyol, Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Ukrainian

Children's Immigration Law Academy Pro Bono Guide - Working with Children and Youth in Immigration Cases

This Guide is intended to provide background and key information for pro bono attorneys representing children and youth in immigration cases. The legal definition for immigrant youth facing removal from the United States alone is “unaccompanied alien child.”

Frequently Asked Questions on U Visas – Immigration Status for Crime Victims

This FAQ is intended for those who may be eligible for a U visa

General information about the 2025 travel ban

In June 2025, the U.S. government announced a “travel ban” that prevents people from certain countries from getting visas and entering the United States. The order says that many people from certain countries are not allowed to enter the U.S. starting on June 9, 2025.

How can I request a copy of my U.S. refugee application?

This article explains how a refugee in the U.S., or a lawful permanent resident (someone with a green card) who was resettled as a refugee, can file a request with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a copy of their immigration file including their refugee application.

HR1 Fees at USCIS and EOIR

This practice advisory provides information about recently implemented fee increases at USCIS and EOIR. These fee increases are a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” also known as HR1. This advisory explores what we know and what we still don’t know about the fees, how to pay them, and potential future changes.

I live in the US and I have refugee status. What should I know?

On November 21, 2025, the United States government announced that it would be reviewing the cases of all refugees who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025. This includes refugees who now have green cards, and those who have applied for green cards and are still waiting for a decision.

Information about the travel ban for people who are outside the US and from “fully restricted” countries

This article explains what the recent U.S. travel ban means for people who are outside of the U.S. and from “fully restricted” countries. The “fully restricted” country list includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Information about the travel ban for people who are outside the US and from “partially restricted” countries

This article explains what the recent U.S. travel ban means for people who are outside of the U.S. and from “partially restricted” countries. The “partly restricted” country list includes Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Information for people who are from a country listed in the travel ban and currently inside the US

This article explains what the recent U.S. travel ban means for people who are inside the United States and from any of the countries listed in the travel ban, whether they are on the “fully restricted” list or the “partially restricted” list. These countries are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

IRAP Explainer on New Trump Administration Policies Impacting Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Afghan Nationals, and Immigrants from Countries Listed in the Travel Ban

In November and December 2025, the Trump Administration announced multiple policies impacting hundreds of thousands of refugees, asylees, visa applicants, green card holders, and other immigration benefit applicants from countries listed in the expanded travel ban. This Explainer lists each of the policies and answers questions about the general impacts. We recommend that impacted individuals and communities consult and share IRAP’s legal information website, which contains guides in multiple languages on recent U.S. policy changes, information on requesting assistance from IRAP, and links to directories of immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations.

IRAP Explainer on the DHS’s Mass Arrests, Detention, and Revetting of Refugees

In the Explainer below, IRAP answers questions about the Trump administration’s unlawful arrests and detention of refugees in Minnesota, as well the lawsuit that IRAP, along with co-counsel Berger Montague and the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL), filed to challenge these unlawful arrests and detention. For impacted communities, we recommend consulting and sharing IRAP’s legal information resources on refugee detention and revetting, which include guides in English, Amharic, Arabic, Dari/Farsi, French, Haitian Kreyol, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, and Ukrainian, as well as information on requesting legal assistance.

IRAP Explainer on the Expanded 2025 Travel Ban

IRAP has written an explainer about the Trump Administration’s December 16, 2025 proclamation that continued and expanded restrictions on immigrant and nonimmigrant entry from certain countries (the “Travel Ban”) that were initially put into place in June 2025. This explainer provides legal practitioners and advocates with an overview of the content of the expanded travel ban and information about its impact on immigrants and immigration processes. The explainer contains charts, which we have also embedded below, comparing the countries / individuals impacted and the exceptions to the June 2025 Ban and December 2025 Expanded Ban.

IRAP Explainer on the US Refugee Admissions Program Suspension

IRAP has written an explainer providing an in-depth overview of the recent suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) following the January 20, 2025 executive order titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program.” The explainer analyzes the implications of halting refugee case processing and admissions, how the suspension affects pending applications, and its impact on other pathways including Welcome Corps, Afghan SIVs, and family reunification. Published: April 28, 2025

New Resources on Obtaining Refugee Cases Files Through FOIA

Reviewing the contents of a refugee case file and broader immigration file can be an important and helpful step while preparing for possible USCIS interviews. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request (or for lawful permanent residents (LPR), a Privacy Act (PA) request) will usually be the only way to obtain a copy of the file because refugee applicants generally do not receive a copy of the refugee application (I-590) or other documents prepared during U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) processing. However, due to a number of recent policy changes impacting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) FOIA processing that were made public in a recent whistleblower complaint, FOIA requesters have faced new challenges, including an increasing number of initial rejections of requests and more widespread withholdings of refugee file documents that should be released under FOIA.

O.C.V. v. Bondi: Tenth Circuit Vacates Matter of M-R-M-S

This factsheet provides an overview of the Tenth Circuit's published decision in O.C.V. v. Bondi, vacating the Board of Immigration Appeals decision Matter of M-R-M-S-, which had established a heightened nexus standard in asylum cases.

Practice Advisory: Considerations in Asylum Claims for Transgender People

Practice Advisory Options for Relief Under Asylum Law for LGBTQ Applicants

CLINIC has partnered with the National Immigration Project and Ready to Stay to update a previously issued CLINIC practice advisory on LGBTQ asylum and related protection claims. This updated advisory discusses new LGBTQ precedent and also addresses the application of the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule in this context. The resource also includes a sample brief, a sample country conditions table of contents, and a sample CLP briefing in its appendices.

Screening for Immigration Relief: Client Intake Form and Notes

This resource is a comprehensive client intake form meant to assist practitioners in screening for immigration relief options and assessing red flags. Accompanying the intake form are notes to assist practitioners in spotting issues and relief options as well as a summary of common forms of relief. This sample client intake form is generic, to screen for general relief since the goal at the screening stage is not to make a final determination of eligibility but to assess pathways for relief.

The Frivolous Asylum Application

Many people mistakenly believe a "frivolous asylum application" refers to a case that lacks sufficient evidence or for some other reason is ultimately unsuccessful on its merits. However, under the law, a frivolous application refers to a case where the applicant knowingly fabricated a key part of the claim and failed to clear up disparities or unbelievable aspects.

Toolkit for Refugee Revetting and Adjustment of Status Interview Preparation

IRAP shares a toolkit for legal practitioners who are preparing clients in refugee status for refugee revetting or adjustment of status interviews. The toolkit contains: 1) brief legal background; 2) practice tips and recommendations for each stage of the process; 3) a step-by-step checklist; 4) sample scripts for interview preparation; and 5) additional legal resources on refugee claims and refugee processing.

Trump Administration Ends Policy That Helped to Reunite Refugee and Asylee Couples Who Cannot Legally Marry

In June 2025, the Trump administration ended a longstanding exception that allowed families of refugees and asylees who could not lawfully marry, often due to laws that discriminated against refugees or LGBTQ couples, to reunite in the United States.

What does the refugee detention court decision in Minnesota mean for me?

In January 2026, the U.S. government began a Refugee Detention Policy where they started arresting and detaining refugees in Minnesota who have not yet gotten legal permanent resident status (or “green card”). On January 24, 2026, a group of refugees filed a class action lawsuit to stop this Refugee Detention Policy. If a judge agrees with this lawsuit, the court’s decision could apply to all refugees living in Minnesota who do not have their green cards and could be detained under the Refugee Detention Policy. Refugees could still be detained by ICE if there is a separate legal reason to deport that person.

What is a refugee revetting interview?

On November 21, 2025, the United States government announced that it would be reviewing the cases of all refugees who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025. This includes refugees who now have green cards, and those who have applied for green cards and are still waiting for a decision.

What is Refugee Revetting?

On November 21, 2025, the United States government announced that it would be reviewing the cases of all refugees who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025. This includes refugees who now have green cards, and those who have applied for green cards and are still waiting for a decision.