Auteur : Danielle Gauthier

By Alexandra Weber, Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at the International Institute of New England

Public conversations around immigration policy are becoming more heated, politicized, and, dangerously, filled with inaccuracies. Educating ourselves on immigration policy, the immigration process, the level of support refugees and immigrants receive, and how they pay that support back in dividends—and then sharing this information with others—can help create a more honest narrative and a warmer welcome for newcomers. Here’s a breakdown of some common misunderstandings corrected with nonpartisan facts and figures: 

1. Myth: It’s easy to enter and remain in the U.S. 

Reality: The legal immigration process is arduous, complicated, and backlogged—and many of the rules change in response to current events and political considerations. 

• For refugees, the process to come to the U.S. is offered to very few, entails multiple steps, including an extensive vetting process, and often takes years to achieve (see our blog post, “Explainer: The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program” to learn more).
   
• For many other immigrants eligible for U.S. entry, the complexity and cost of the application process is intense. Many allowed to enter are given only a temporary opportunity to stay and those hoping for longer-term protection must fight uphill battles to adjust their initial status to a more permanent status that allows them to remain in the country.
   
• Once an individual files the application for citizenship, which cannot happen until at least five years after receiving a green card, they often have to wait years more. In 2012, the average processing time from citizenship application to approval was 4.6 months. Today, the wait has tripled in length to 15.5 months. 

2. Myth: Immigrants are more likely to be criminals.  

Reality: The opposite is true. 

• Statistically, immigrants residing in the U.S. are less likely to be criminals. A recent study analyzing 150 years of U.S. Census data shows that immigrants have never been incarcerated at a higher rate than U.S.-born individuals. The gap has widened since 1960, and immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born citizens.
   
• Furthermore, crime rates actually decreased as immigration grew in 200 U.S. cities from 1970 to 2016.
   
• While Fentanyl trafficking in the U.S. has been persistently blamed on immigrants, this claim is false. As recently reported by the New Hampshire Bulletin, “In 2022, U.S. Sentencing Commission data showed that Americans accounted for nearly 90 percent of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers, and 96 percent of fentanyl seizures occurred at official ports of entry, not along migration routes between checkpoints, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports analyzed by the Washington Post.” 

3. Myth: Refugees and immigrants receive an unfair level of support from the government and are a drain on the U.S. economy. 

Reality: The support new arrivals receive is extremely limited. Additionally, most refugees and immigrants enter the U.S. workforce immediately upon becoming eligible and then go on to contribute tremendously to our economy, giving back far more than they ever received.  

• Refugees and persecuted populations receive only basic support on arrival through public programs such as food stamps. Most begin their lives in the U.S. with extremely limited resources. Public support received by these families is temporary and requires participation in the U.S. workforce. Initial support is also repaid many times over as families contribute to the economy and tax base immediately and, if allowed to stay, across a lifetime.
   
• Newcomers strengthen our workforce, filling roles in healthcare, STEM, construction, environmental services, and more, and 22% of entrepreneurs nationwide were born outside of the U.S. According to a 2021 report from the American Immigration Council, immigrants in the U.S. have a collective spending power of $1.4 trillion and paid $525 billion in taxes each year.
   
• In many New England states, immigrants are the key and often only strategy to combatting a shrinking workforce and community. Our local and national economies depend on immigrants. In fact, according to a recent report from the Migration Policy Institute, “Immigrants and their U.S.-born children accounted for all U.S. civilian labor force growth in the past two decades.”  

4. Myth: Immigrants take jobs from other Americans.

Reality: This is a falsehood often used to pit vulnerable groups against one another and divert focus from policies that exploit and undervalue workers. It is untrue on many levels. 

• “The Lump of Labor Fallacy” is a term economists use for the misconception that there is only a fixed number of jobs to be had in the U.S., implying that newcomers would need to take or limit opportunities from U.S.-born individuals. As a recent study from the Economic Policy Institute shows: “the idea that immigrants are making things worse for U.S.-born workers is wrong. The reality is that the labor market is absorbing immigrants at a rapid pace, while simultaneously maintaining record-low unemployment for U.S.-born workers.”
   
• Far from stealing jobs, immigrants often take on taxing jobs that other Americans are not willing to do. As the Brookings Institution has stated: “The impact of immigrant labor on the wages of native-born workers is low… However, [immigrant] workers often work the unpleasant, back-breaking jobs that native-born workers are not willing to do.”
   
• We currently have more job openings than qualified applicants to fill them both nationwide and in New England, including dangerous labor shortages in healthcare fields. 
   
• The future of our labor force depends on immigration. As the U.S. birthrate steadily declines, immigrants are vital to growing the labor force. According to a recent report from the Migration Policy Institute, “With U.S. birth rates falling, the immigrant-origin population has been a vital source of growth for the U.S. population in the past two decades. Without immigrants and their U.S.-born children, the prime working-age population (ages 25–54) would have shrunk by more than 8 million people and the population of children and young adults under age 24 would have shrunk by more than 5 million people between 2000 and 2023.”  

• Immigrants who receive the necessary support are also actually more likely to start new businesses, acting as job creators. 

5. Myth: Today’s immigrants don’t want to learn English.    

Reality: Most immigrants are extremely eager to learn English in order to navigate their communities, advocate for themselves and their families, and enter and succeed in the workforce as quickly as possible. Here in New England, every language instruction provider, including IINE, has long waiting lists for our free ESOL classes. Due to budget cuts, providers currently fill less than 10% of demand for these classes. 

6. Myth: U.S. asylum policies are causing a crisis. If the U.S. ended or restricted peoples’ rights to enter the U.S. seeking a safe haven from persecution and violence, we wouldn’t have unmanageable immigration surges. 

Reality: People seeking freedom from persecution and violence will do whatever they can to reach safety. Attempts to restrict their ability to apply for legal protection, such as Title 42 and “Remain in Mexico,” have not stopped or slowed attempts; in fact, attempts have grown exponentially during the implementation of these policies, which have done nothing to address the root causes of displacement. Restrictions merely backlog the legal process by millions of cases and remove protections for an extremely vulnerable population, exposing them to further persecution and violence.  

7. Myth: Supposed asylum-seekers are really just coming here for jobs.

Reality: When people attempt to claim asylum, they have to prove that they face persecution or have a credible fear of persecution in their home countries that prevents them from returning.  

• Most are fleeing repressive regimes and destabilization that threaten their lives. They make impossibly dangerous journeys to come to the U.S., jeopardizing the safety of their families and themselves—a risk they would never take if there was a better choice. Often arriving with few financial resources and immense language and cultural barriers, they begin their lives in the U.S. facing tremendous challenges.
   
• This myth persists in large part because our current immigration legal system is so under-resourced that pending asylum cases stretch into the millions, and once started, can take as long as five years to complete.
   
• Asylum is far from guaranteed and the uncertainty surrounding the process can be frightening and destabilizing. This is not a situation one would seek for any reason other than dire necessity.  

8. Myth: Immigrants are being imported by the Democratic Party to sway election results.

Reality: This harmful conspiracy theory has no basis in fact or logic.  

• It takes many years for immigrants to gain eligibility to vote, and any claims that immigrants have voted who were not eligible to do so have been proven false by voting records.
   
• Immigrants are not a homogeneous group, and the idea that future immigration will necessarily favor the Democratic Party falsely assumes that most immigrants vote the same way, or even that most immigrants from the same regions vote the same way, and that their political loyalties are unchangeable. Various claims that immigration has significantly favored the Democratic Party in elections have also been disproven.
   
• In many cases, this conspiracy theory is predicated on a false assumption that immigrants simply vote based on immigration policy. Like most American voters, immigrants vote based on a range of issues that affect their quality of life and align with their diverse values.  

9. Myth: Refugees and immigrants bring culture, ideology, or ideas that are harmful to the U.S. 

Reality: Immigrants most often come to the U.S. because of their affinity for its economic and governing principles, not in spite of them.  

• Research has shown that most immigrants come seeking safety, freedom, rights, and opportunity for themselves and their families.
   
• Overall political views of immigrants to the U.S. do not differ significantly from those of other Americans.
   
• Immigrants continue to come to the U.S. seeking a pluralistic society with class mobility—a place where they are free to live, love, believe, and raise their families as they please while participating in the workforce and having a say in governance. They make our communities richer, more diverse, and more vibrant. 

10. Myth: The U.S. prioritizes services for refugees and immigrants more than for its own military veterans. 

Reality: It is counterproductive and illogical to artificially pit these priorities against one another, but if a comparison is called for, the investment is not even close.  

• The U.S. allocated $303.8 billion to the Veterans Administration in 2023, compared to $1.7 billion to the Office of Refugee Resettlement and $913.6 million for the entire U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department.  

Another variant of this myth is that U.S. values dictate that it should not do anything to help refugees and asylum seekers until it has helped all underserved U.S. Veterans. 

• This ignores the important facts that many veterans are themselves former immigrants and that immigrants have always been important contributors to U.S. military efforts.
   
•  It is also counter to one of the key values our military fights to defend—that the U.S. is a defender of freedom and democracy and safe haven from repression and anti-democratic forces.  

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Welcoming refugees and immigrants strengthens U.S. communities, our cultural diversity, our economy, our integrity as a defender of freedom, our global standing, and our unique identity as a pluralistic nation. Dispelling myths is an important way to make their pathways easier.  

Thank you for your interest in supporting refugees and immigrants in our community. Learn more about these issues by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media.  

Bancel Philanthropies’ pledge of $6,000,000 marks the largest single philanthropic gift in IINE history 

BOSTON – April 25, 2024 – The International Institute of New England (IINE) has announced it has received the largest single philanthropic gift in organizational history from Bancel Philanthropies. The gift of $6,000,000 — $1,000,000 per year over six years — will be used to assist IINE in providing life-changing support services to refugees and immigrants rebuilding their lives in the New England region.  

This historic gift comes at a time when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been working diligently to integrate a growing number of immigrant families. For decades, IINE has implemented and honed a proven community-driven integration model, bringing both the operational and economic advantages of immigrant integration to the Commonwealth. With this additional funding from Bancel Philanthropies, IINE’s services, such as legal assistance, housing support, and case management services, will allow the organization to further advocate for permanent housing solutions, expedited work authorizations, and expanded support systems and services to help families achieve stability. 

“This gift is an incredible show of confidence in the work we do every day to meet the needs of the refugees and immigrants in our care and in the enduring importance of our mission,” said Jeff Thielman, president and CEO of the International Institute of New England. “Bancel Philanthropies shares our belief in advocating for the human rights, protection, and support of refugees and immigrants. With these funds, IINE will be able to further expand its support services and programs to help the growing number of new arrivals who urgently need support from our whole community to build a life here.”

Bancel Philanthropies is the family philanthropy of Brenda and Stéphane Bancel and invests in people and programs with the potential to transform lives, advance justice, and heal communities. Stéphane Bancel, an immigrant from France and the CEO of Moderna Therapeutics, was honored as IINE’s Golden Door Award recipient in 2022, a prestigious award given annually to a leader born outside the United States who has made outstanding contributions to American society. 

“Stéphane and I are inspired by organizations like the International Institute of New England that are helping those in need and enriching our society as a result,” Brenda Bancel said. “We’re honored to offer our support, which will allow IINE to continue making a real difference for refugees and immigrants in New England. Having witnessed firsthand IINE’s ability to unite the community in service of their clients, we have complete confidence that our contribution will allow them to advocate for our new community members’ rights, safety, and success even more effectively. “

As one of the longest-established and most trusted social service organizations in the region, IINE serves thousands of individuals and families annually. This gift from Bancel Philanthropies will allow IINE to increase its services and offerings to serve more than 20,000 immigrants in 2024, which is critical in responding to the large influx of Haitian and Central and South American families arriving homeless in Massachusetts. 

A PROPOS DE L'INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DE LA NOUVELLE-ANGLETERRE

The International Institute of New England (IINE) creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement, and pathways to citizenship. With locations in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire, IINE serves more than 10,000 individuals annually, including people displaced by political instability, violence, and climate crises, child and adult survivors of human trafficking, and unaccompanied children joining family members in New England. IINE offers a comprehensive range of programs and services to help these newcomers feel welcome, achieve stability and security, access resources in their new communities, advance their education and employment goals, and integrate into their communities. IINE’s expertise builds on more than a century of service, and with continued partnership from community groups and support from philanthropists throughout New England, IINE will continue this service for the next 100 years and beyond. 

ABOUT BANCEL PHILANTHROPIES 

Bancel Philanthropies is the family philanthropy of Brenda and Stéphane Bancel, and invests in people and programs with the potential to transform lives, advance justice and heal communities. Our goal is to fully exert our belief in the goodness of humanity through building relationships with community leaders. We fund projects that speak to the fundamental emotion that nurtures us through hardship and sustains the human heart: love. Our funding priorities are creating equitable access to education, increasing food security, reducing health inequities, bolstering interfaith initiatives, reducing racial inequities, supporting trauma survivors and vulnerable communities, improving youth mental health and social isolation, and stewarding sustainable conservation and food systems. To learn more, visit bancelphilanthropies.org. 

Membre du conseil d'administration de l'Institut international de la Nouvelle-Angleterre depuis 2021, Libby May est une responsable de la communication spécialisée dans l'éducation de la maternelle à la 12e année et dans l'enseignement supérieur. Elle occupe actuellement le poste de Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer pour la Southern New Hampshire University, où son travail comprend la communication interne et externe, les relations avec les médias, les événements, l'engagement des anciens élèves, les relations avec la communauté et les affaires gouvernementales. Libby soutient la croissance continue de l'IINE grâce à son engagement profond à renforcer la communauté du Grand Manchester et à garantir des opportunités plus équitables pour tous.

Nous nous sommes entretenus avec Libby pour en savoir plus sur sa passion pour l'accueil des réfugiés et des immigrants, sur la manière dont elle s'efforce d'être un membre efficace du conseil d'administration et sur ce qui l'enthousiasme le plus quant à l'avenir de l'IINE.

Pouvez-vous nous parler un peu de vous ?

J'ai grandi à Washington, DC, et j'y ai passé la plus grande partie de ma carrière, travaillant dans le domaine de la communication avec des organisations à but non lucratif et de défense des droits. Je ne suis donc pas originaire de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, mais j'ai été attirée ici par mon rôle actuel - en tant que responsable des affaires extérieures et de la communication de l'université Southern New Hampshire - que j'occupe depuis neuf ans.

Je suis très fière et je me sens très chanceuse de travailler avec des organisations à but non lucratif. Mon premier emploi à la sortie de l'université était dans une société de relations publiques, et je ne l'ai pas aimé. Je me souviens que quelqu'un m'a dit à l'époque : "[...]Réfléchis à ce qui te fait sortir du lit le matin et suis ton instinct.." C'est le meilleur conseil professionnel que j'ai jamais reçu. Pour moi, la réponse était claire : travailler avec des organisations à but non lucratif pour raconter leur histoire et apporter plus de bien dans le monde. Il n'y a rien de mieux que de travailler avec des personnes passionnées pour faire avancer une mission.

Un autre élément important de mon parcours est que je suis mère de deux jeunes enfants. Les élever a nourri mon travail - dans l'éducation et le secteur à but non lucratif, dans son ensemble. Je veux aider à construire des communautés diverses et accueillantes dans lesquelles ils pourront grandir.

Parlez-nous de ynotre parcours jusqu'à l'Institut international de Nouvelle-Angleterre.

En 2017, la Southern New Hampshire University a ouvert le Center for New Americans pour répondre aux besoins des immigrants dans le Grand Manchester. Nous voulions reconnaître qu'il y avait beaucoup d'autres groupes dans la région qui soutenaient cette population, tout en identifiant les opportunités pour nous de combler les lacunes. Nous avons commencé à établir des partenariats avec d'autres organisations pour fournir un soutien en matière de langue, d'éducation et de bien-être - c'est ainsi que j'ai découvert l'International Institute of New England.

Dès le début, j'ai été très impressionnée par l'engagement de l'organisation à fournir des programmes complets. Lorsque l'occasion s'est présentée de rejoindre le conseil d'administration, j'ai été très enthousiaste à l'idée d'être encore plus proche de la communauté.

Quelles sont, selon vous, les contributions les plus importantes d'un membre d'un conseil d'administration ?

Je pense que l'une des choses les plus importantes qu'un membre du conseil d'administration puisse faire est de s'impliquer. Lire les documents, comprendre le travail de l'équipe, poser de bonnes questions, être présent et s'impliquer.

Je pense que les membres du conseil d'administration peuvent vraiment faire la différence, en particulier dans le cas des organisations à but non lucratif, qui n'ont généralement pas de personnel ou de budget importants. D'une certaine manière, j'utilise mon expertise en tant que consultant non rémunéré. Qu'il s'agisse d'aider à concevoir des tests A/B pour les campagnes d'e-mailing ou de donner mon avis sur les fournisseurs de médias sociaux, j'essaie de tirer parti de mon expertise professionnelle et d'agir comme une voix de soutien.

En tant que membre du conseil d'administration, j'essaie toujours d'écouter l'équipe et de lui faire comprendre que son travail est important.

Qu'est-ce qui vous enthousiasme le plus dans l'avenir de l'IINE ?

Je suis très fière de la façon dont l'IINE est toujours prêt à s'adapter pour répondre aux besoins des populations qu'il sert. J'ai adoré observer l'IINE créer des programmes pour les femmes afghanes - ils ont reconnu les besoins uniques des femmes en posant les bonnes questions et en rassemblant les personnes et les ressources de manière si organique. Le personnel de l'IINE est véritablement curieux. Ils se demandent : "Que pouvons-nous et devrions-nous faire différemment ?" Cette capacité d'adaptation me rend optimiste quant à l'avenir de l'organisation.

Bien sûr, je suis particulièrement enthousiaste à l'idée de travailler dans le New Hampshire. Comme je l'ai dit, je ne suis pas originaire du New Hampshire, mais j'ai appris à respecter le courage de ses habitants. La communauté à but non lucratif du New Hampshire, en particulier, est composée de personnes incroyables et travailleuses qui font un travail de collaboration et de terrain pour soutenir les nouveaux arrivants. Chaque jour, j'entre dans un bâtiment où l'on me rappelle que cet État a été construit sur le dos des immigrés. Les habitants du New Hampshire, quel que soit le nombre de générations qui les séparent de l'arrivée de leur famille, se souviennent de ces voyages et reconnaissent la détermination et la force qu'il faut pour venir ici, s'enraciner et se construire une vie. Je pense que les habitants du New Hampshire se reconnaissent dans les immigrants - nous partageons tous le désir de travailler dur pour subvenir à nos besoins et à ceux de nos familles.

Qu'est-ce qui inspire votre philanthropie ?

Mes parents m'ont toujours inculqué qu'en tant que membres d'une communauté, il est de notre devoir de rendre la pareille. On ne franchit pas une porte sans la tenir ouverte à la personne qui se trouve derrière soi. On ne sait jamais quand on aura besoin que quelqu'un d'autre nous tienne la porte.

Ce sont ces valeurs qui ont alimenté mon travail avec les organisations à but non lucratif et ma philanthropie en général. C'est aussi ce que j'essaie d'inculquer à mes enfants. Ils vous le diront, Maman dit toujours qu'on peut être n'importe quoi dans le monde, il suffit d'avoir un bon cœur.... Nous avons tous la responsabilité de contribuer au monde dans lequel nous vivons.

Le conseil d'administration de l'IINE est composé de dirigeants d'entreprises et de collectivités de toute la Nouvelle-Angleterre. Consultez nos membres et notre équipe de direction ici.