HIAS Greece translator Jalal Barezkai, right, assists a Syrian refugee in an encampment near the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos, Greece, May 9, 2018. (Bill Swersey/HIAS)
On November 7, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency published a lengthy profile of HIAS, focusing on our determination to proceed with our work despite political uncertainty in the wake of the U.S. presidential election. The incoming Trump administration has promised to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants and is also poised to slash the number of refugees allowed into the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Such policies would create daunting challenges for HIAS, but President Mark Hetfield noted that the organization has been here before — and remains as determined as ever to do our work.
“As Yogi Berra would say, it feels like deja vu all over again. We’ve been through this before at HIAS. Together. And we got through it, staying true to our values.”
