Publications

Aug 13, 2026

In 2025, HIAS stood firm in a world increasingly shaped by surging xenophobia and antisemitism. We showed up in refugee camps, in courtrooms, and in the streets. We showed up when governments cut lifesaving aid and legal protections vanished. We showed up because it’s the right thing to do, because we are commanded to welcome the stranger, and because we won’t turn away from those in need.

Jul 30, 2026

From 2021 to 2024, HIAS and its partner agencies were at the forefront of a national effort to innovate how the United States welcomed refugees — by mobilizing local communities. The HIAS network tested and scaled multiple models of community sponsorship, including co-sponsorship, which matches refugee families with both professional caseworkers and trained volunteer groups. This report captures what HIAS learned from four years of fast-moving program delivery and experimentation, at a moment when creative solutions to support forcibly displaced immigrants are more needed than ever.

Sep 20, 2025

2024 will be remembered as a year of change and upheaval around the world. It was also a year in which the global population of forcibly displaced people rose to its highest number ever: more than 122 million. HIAS continues to advocate and engage Jewish communities in order to prioritize welcome. We have carried on our vital work in providing protection, mental health support, and economic empowerment for refugee populations around the world.

Jul 23, 2025

This report, published with the critical support of the Walder Foundation, examines insights and lessons from the latest iteration of the community sponsorship program in the HIAS network. The report spotlights the perspectives of newcomers, volunteers, and staff interviewed during a visit to Chicago in partnership with HIAS' longstanding partner Jewish Child and Family Services of Chicago (JCFS).

Apr 11, 2025

This report, published by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and following up on previous Congressionally authorized USCIRF studies, examines the treatment of asylum seekers in expedited removal. The report presents key findings and policy recommendations based on the research team’s review of recent changes to the expedited removal process, interviews, survey responses, site visits, observations, and consultations with Department of Homeland Security officials.

Jan 27, 2025

This report offers a comparative evaluation of HIAS Welcome Circles in the United States and Europe, which were mobilized as a community sponsorship program for displaced Ukrainians. The report offers lessons for community sponsorship programs to harness demand for ways to support displaced people and offers insights for improving community responses to displacement crises, volunteer mobilization and training, and building community.

Jan 24, 2025

This report provides an evaluation of the HIAS U.S. Welcome Circle program for Ukrainians, an emergency response initiative that mobilized groups around the U.S. to provide community sponsorship for Ukrainians displaced as a result of the February 2022 Russian invasion. The report’s goal is to understand program results, highlight opportunities for improved program delivery, and explore how lessons from Welcome Circles might inform other community sponsorship programs.