She was an asylee with COVID-19 and needed help – IINE responds
This message comes from Sabyne Denaud, IINE’s Community Services Manager in Lowell. She shared this story as part of our All Together campaign, made possible by a generous $15k match offer from a family foundation and friend of IINE. This month, they will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000. You [...]
IINE opposes proposed Asylum regulation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued proposed asylum regulations that will make it nearly impossible for people to pursue asylum claims in the United States. Asylum is a lifeline for tens of thousands of vulnerable [...]
A collaboration between local organizations has brought fresh produce each week to the kitchens of newcomer families in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The International Institute of New England officially suspended all its in-person services on March 13. Ever since, we have been working tirelessly and creatively to continue to support our immigrant and refugee communities. We had to adapt to these unprecedented circumstances and keep providing the critical employment, case management, [...]
IINE Statement on June 22, 2020 Presidential Proclamation Temporarily Suspending Entry of Certain Immigrants into the United States
On June 22, 2020, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending the entry of certain nonimmigrant workers and their family members. The order directly impacts the following nonimmigrant workers: H-1B: Specialty Occupations H-2B: Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers J-1: Exchange Visitors (interns, trainees, teachers, camp counselors, au [...]
IINE Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling to Block Trump from Ending DACA
Today, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from cancelling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This ruling is a victory not only for dreamers but for all immigrants nationwide. We stand with every dreamer and every family whose lives have been [...]
IINE and Black Lives Matter
Recently we made the decision to update two of our blog posts, which we wrote on June 1 and June 2 in response to the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that at the [...]
IINE Statement of Solidarity with Black Americans and #BlackLivesMatter
IINE was founded on the belief that in order for a community to thrive, it must welcome and truly embrace all those who embody it. Our organization is dedicated to building and promoting welcoming communities that recognize the value of every person: refugee, immigrant, [...]
What it means to be a truly welcoming community
June 1, 2020Dear Friend:Last night I was in the IINE office in Boston, where Downtown Crossing and Chinatown meet, getting ready for the week ahead. Around 8:00 p.m. thousands of diverse, peaceful, and enthusiastic protesters marched below my window to condemn the murder of George [...]
Persistence pays off for Hospitality Training Program graduate
When Adolfo Gomes first arrived in the U.S., he spoke little English and worked entry-level jobs in restaurant kitchens. Anyone who has met him will tell you that being in the back of the house isn’t the natural place for Adolfo’s outgoing personality, nor [...]
Advocating for eligible immigrants who are one step away from Citizenship
As an organization that has welcomed immigrants to the U.S. since 1918, the International Institute of New England has been on the front lines of immigration policy and advocacy for more than a century. In recent days, we have contacted federal legislators from Massachusetts [...]
Three generations now thriving in Nashua: Kanyere and Frediana
Kanyere and her mother, Frediana, fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2004 and lived in the Kyaka II refugee camp in western Uganda for 14 years. “There were people killed before our eyes,” Frediana said when she recalled the conditions that forced [...]
Seeing Success in the Crisis: How IINE clients are a source of inspiration
By Emma Tobin Managing Director, IINE-Lowell Seven weeks ago, the IINE community in Lowell faced an enormous challenge: the families we serve were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but we could no longer provide them with critical services, face to face, as we’ve [...]