ACCL to share space at IINE’s newly-opened Lowell headquarters, expanding support for immigrants and refugees across Greater Lowell in centralized location
BOSTON – September 1, 2026 – The International Institute of New England (IINE) has announced a new partnership with the African Community Center of Lowell (ACCL) to co-locate at IINE’s recently acquired Lowell headquarters at 585 Middlesex Street, strengthening support for refugees and immigrants across Greater Lowell.
IINE Lowell Managing Director Caroline Rowe and African Community Center of Lowell Executive Director Gordon Donkoh-Halm at their new shared offices at 585 Middlesex St.
The partnership brings together two organizations with a shared commitment to helping newcomers connect with the support and resources needed to build brighter futures and become engaged community members.
The collaboration reflects IINE’s vision for its new 21,000-square-foot facility as a hub for community support, where organizations can come together to advance the stability and success of Lowell’s residents.
“From the beginning, we envisioned this building as more than just a home for IINE, but a space where everyone in Lowell can find community and opportunity,” said IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman. “We are proud to welcome the African Community Center of Lowell and look forward to deepening our partnership to better serve refugees and immigrants.”
“We are so excited to grow our partnership with IINE with this move and look forward to more strongly sustaining our immigrant and refugee community together in our new shared home,” said ACCL Board of Directors Chair Susanne Curry.
“Partnering more closely with IINE will enhance ACCL’s work toward our mission, helping families build healthier communities in Lowell,” said ACCL Executive Director Gordon Donkoh-Halm.
Since its founding in 2016, ACCL has provided African refugees and immigrants in the Greater Lowell area with educational, social, and cultural resources to become actively engaged community members. ACCL also works to bring African culture to Greater Lowell at large, fostering cross-cultural connections and an appreciation for the unique strengths and talents each community member offers.
ACCL’s work complements IINE’s comprehensive services for newcomers. Founded in the city in 1918, IINE provides life-changing services to thousands of individuals every year, connecting refugees and immigrants with housing, healthcare, and food, English language instruction, youth mentoring, employment support, and immigration legal services.
Together, IINE and ACCL will create a stronger network of support for immigrant and refugee communities in Lowell, building on the city’s longstanding tradition of partnership, inclusion, and community engagement.
IINE Career Navigators Gordon Parris and Luqman Alkhaneqeeni were facing an unexpected challenge.
In their roles, they help refugees, who arrive with diverse education and work backgrounds, to set career goals and advance toward them as quickly as possible.
Demand for this support is high.
Federal policies, however, had been steadily narrowing who is eligible for these services. Now, because of the latest law change, most of the immigrants Gordon and Luqman had enrolled in the federally funded “Refugee Career Pathways” program were about to lose their permission to work in the U.S.
In order to keep running an extremely useful program, Gordon and Luqman would have to find a new group of immigrants who would benefit from this career advancement support.
Fortunately, they had a hunch on where they might be able to find some new recruits in a hurry: the soccer pitch on a Saturday.
Game On
“Luqman’s thought was, you know, we’ve got a bunch of dudes who play pickup soccer with us, who do want help and assistance, and they already know us,” says Gordon, “particularly, they know Luqman, very, very well.”
Luqman (3rd from left) and Gordon (5th from left) with IINE clients at our regular soccer meet, which brings together clients, who come from a range of countries but share a love of the sport
A passionate player and fan, Luqman had been running IINE’s informal soccer meet in the Boston area for more than a year. Anyone who has worked at or with IINE is invited to join. The game draws a regular crew of refugees, including players from Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Syria, Afghanistan, and Colombia. Players get subbed in and out, and there’s plenty of time between matches to chat with one another (generally switching between English, French, and Arabic). There’s also time to chat with Luqman.
“One client, Ahmed, a refugee from Sudan, wants to be an electrician,” Luqman says. “He was an electrician for years back home, and he wants to eventually open his own shop here.We briefly talked about the requirements, and I learned that he doesn’t have a high school diploma. I told him about the Refugee Career Pathways program, and how he could receive guidance to get his GED—which he would need to get into a vocational training—and he could take it from there.”
Ahmed was excited. He signed up. Then he immediately started spreading the word.
“That’s how it started. He talked to his friends, his roommates…pretty soon we had ten clients, all from the soccer game, all who needed their GEDs.”
They would approach Luqman during half time and tell them their stories. While they had different life goals, they were facing a common obstacle.
“They wanted to improve their living conditions, whether that meant getting a promotion, a better job, or to get back into a previous field. They had all looked into getting into a vocational training, or another educational opportunity, to achieve their goals, but then they found out that they couldn’t because they didn’t have a high school diploma. So, they were saying, ‘Okay, I want to get a GED as soon as possible.’”
As Luqman collected enrollments, he passed the information on to Gordon, who quickly began putting together a plan. They learned that, while most of the crew had fairly strong conversational English, they would need to improve their reading and writing skills before they would qualify for external HiSet—High School Equivalency Test—preparation classes. A “Bridge to HiSet” class would be a crucial stop on their “Refuge Career Pathway.”
“They were all excited!” Luqman says. “Every time we played soccer they were asking me, ‘When is class starting?’ I would say, ‘pretty soon!’”
It was particularly gratifying for Luqman that the soccer game ended up playing such a central role in recruitment. “What inspired them and encouraged them to get their GED was that they knew each other and that they were a group,” he says.
Gordon agrees. “We don’t have many spaces that are, like, refugee- and immigrant-focused third spaces. That’s what the soccer field became—a place where people hang out and have a chance to ask each other, like, ‘Hey, how are you improving your career and your life now that you’ve gotten here?’ Luckily enough for us, possibly because Luqman and I had spent so long hustling around a field with them, sweating and all that, the players believed that we were committed to them and their success.”
Team HiSet Prep
Omar (front and center), who’s the “life of our convos on WhatsApp, on the field, and in class,” according to Gordon, his instructor
One of the soccer players to enroll in Bridge to HiSet was Omar, a refugee from Senegal, described by Gordon as “a talented midfielder and the life of our convos on WhatsApp, on the field, and in class.”
Omar arrived in Boston in 2024, and IINE set him in his first apartment, helped him access healthcare and cash assistance, instructed him in ESOL and helped him get his first job in the U.S. Later, he took Luqman and Gordon’s Bridge to IT Proficiency class to improve his computer skills. “They’re so nice,” he says, “they’re great to work with.”
When he learned that current and former IINE clients were going to start playing pick-up soccer together, he showed up for the first game, ready to play.
“I love to play soccer,” he says with a smile. In response to the suggestion that he’s often the MVP in the IINE games, his smile widens, and he very quietly replies, “Well, that’s what they tell me.”
Omar says that he showed talent at a very early age, but that in Senegal, he had been discouraged from playing as the game could be seen as a waste of time. Getting the chance to play now is a big deal for him. He also says that the camaraderie he feels on the field carried over into the classroom.
“I really enjoyed the soccer and the HiSet class! We were learning but we were also having a fun day. I learned a lot from the [instructors] and also from some of the students I met there—their experiences and their opinions.”
One of things that Omar likes best about U.S. culture is the work ethic he sees here. “I really like to keep busy,” he says. Currently, he works in an environmental services role at a Boston hospital. He “love[s] working at the hospital…[and] helping people,” and hoped to move up into a role as a pharmacy technician. Whenever he inquired about an opening, however, “they’d ask me about my high school diploma.”
Omar also looked into getting back into metal welding, a craft he learned from his father and practiced for seven years in Senegal. “I don’t want to lose it,” he says. Again, he found his lack of a high school diploma to a be a barrier. “I’m like, ‘Ok, to grow or meet my career goals I need to get a GED.’”
Towards the Goal
While his students still have a ways to go to reach their goals, Gordon says that the first cohort of Bridge to HiSet was a clear success, and that he saw many exciting breakthroughs.
“This was a pilot program, but we’re convinced we have the test scores, the attendance levels, and the anecdotal evidence to show that, hey, this program is actually a pretty good idea. And we’ve identified a gap in the services that other people provide.”
Ahmed, who got the ball rolling when he told Luqman about his obstacles in working towards resuming his career as an electrician, is now enrolled in an intensive daily English class while also holding down one job in food service, and a second in security.
Omar says that the Bridge to HiSet class has helped him, and he continues to work on growing his English skills. He’s grateful to IINE for the continuing support.
“If I need anything, then I can send them a message saying, ‘I need help for this,’ and they will make an appointment for me.”
With the federal Refugee Career Pathways program now ending—another unfortunate federal policy change—Luqman and Gordon are hoping to find different funding source to continue the Bridge to HiSet program.
Meanwhile, they will continue to show up to the soccer field ready to play—and more.
Our donors help ensure that refugees and immigrants receive the support they need to rebuild their lives in New England, and in turn, strengthen our culture, economy, and community. In our Why They Give series, we talk with them to learn more about their connection to our mission and what inspires their support.
In our latest installment, Laurie Sorota shares the joy and meaning she finds in tutoring refugee youth, what she wishes more people understood about the immigrant journey, and her hopes for IINE’s new building in Lowell.
Laurie with her husband and two sons
Можете розповісти трохи про себе?
I live in Andover, Massachusetts with my husband. We raised two boys who are now leading their own full lives, one in D.C. and the other in Massachusetts. Four years ago, I retired from a 20-year career at Northern Essex Community College as a tutor and academic coach. I am a lifetime member of South Church in Andover, and as such, have been volunteering (in so many different areas) my entire life.
Чому філантропія важлива для вас?
I believe, as a society, we need to protect and encourage those who are “less fortunate.” We all go through difficult times, and without the empathy and support of others, we can easily become lost. I have found that many people just need a little boost. A kind word, a pair of clean socks, a book to read, or a simple warm meal can help someone get through a rough patch, catch their breath, and move forward. It’s an easy thing to do for another human being.
Why is volunteering at IINE important to you?
I was drawn to IINE about eight years ago when I came across a posting on volunteermatch.org looking for youth mentors. I inquired and was asked to join a group of adults working with “kids” aged 15-24. From our very first meeting, I was hooked. I loved talking with these young folks, hearing their stories, and sharing tidbits of information about life for kids their age in the U.S. In my job at the community college, I learned that people often “don’t know what they don’t know.” I applied that concept with the youth mentoring program. Helping them understand how to get a driver’s license, sign up for a library card, utilize public transportation, and even go to college were topics I knew how to teach. I loved watching the kids realize that they had some choices to make. Their lives weren’t predetermined anymore.
Can you share a meaningful moment from your volunteering?
During the COVID lockdown, I worked with several young people, mostly helping them prepare to take the HiSet (the test students must take to earn a high school diploma in the U.S.). It was during these sessions that I learned the most.
Left: Laurie and an IINE client during a tutoring session. Right: Laurie and fellow IINE volunteers setting up an apartment for an arriving refugee family.
I worked with B., a man in his mid-20s who was born and raised in a Rwandan refugee camp. He was married and had a young daughter. B. drove for Uber, and his wife worked at a retirement home as a receptionist. They both spoke good English and made enough money to support themselves, but B. wanted a high school diploma.
One day I asked him, “Did you ever think that you would be married, with a kid, living in Massachusetts, and earning enough money to support your family?” He replied, “I never thought I’d eat three meals a day.” B. was making it in America.
What do you wish more people understood about refugees and immigrants?
It’s important to me that people understand the plight of refugees and immigrants. There seems to be a misconception that one day immigrants decide to come to the U.S., snap their fingers, and arrive. I would like others to understand that the average wait to enter the U.S. is approximately 12 years, and that the vetting processis extensive and includes multiple interviews. I would like others to understand that the paltry sum of money that refugees receive—designed to cover them for the first three months here—is nowhere near enough to sustain them. I would like others to understand that refugees and immigrants have left unspeakable poverty and danger in order to make a better life for themselves and their families. Finally, I would like others to understand that the U.S. is made better by blending nationalities, customs, opinions, lifestyles, and ideas. We are better when we come together as a society, learning from each other and sharing each other’s good times and bad times.
You joined IINE’s recently-formed Lowell Steering Committee, a group focused on ensuring that our new office is a resource for all Lowellians, and on providing insights and support as we enter our next stages of community engagement. Can you share what compelled you to get involved?
I chose to join the Steering Committee for a few reasons. I have volunteered at IINE working directly with clients in many ways: as a mentor, tutor, and cultural orientation leader. I’ve also worked behind the scenes: setting up apartments, purchasing and delivering groceries, working in the office, organizing donation drives, and schlepping things from here to there. This is a large organization with many moving parts. Each part is essential in providing appropriate and necessary services to those who are trying to make Lowell their new home.
Now that IINE has a permanent location in Lowell, the organization has an opportunity to further fine-tune their services and add some stability beneath all the good work they do. They can become a real presence in Lowell, not just for those recent immigrants, but for others who are here trying to make their way in Massachusetts. As I said earlier, people don’t always know what they don’t know. IINE can be that resource for them. It can be a place where they can get answers to their questions and suggestions for how to move forward. What a gift that will be to the people of Lowell.
IINE може надавати такі необхідні послуги біженцям та іммігрантам лише завдяки підтримці наших щедрих жертводавців. Існує багато різних способів пожертвувати. Дізнайтеся більше тут: Пожертвувати кошти.
IINE offers adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for immigrants with a broad range of experience, ranging from those who never had the opportunity to learn to read and write in their first languages to advanced speakers who are looking to further hone their English skills.
All classes are designed to help students progress towards self-sufficiency in the U.S. as quickly as possible—to empower them to navigate their new communities, pursue their academic and career goals, and reach their goals.
When Instructor Caroline Sutphin, who has a master of fine arts, had the opportunity to teach an advanced ESOL class for the first time, she decided that after completing weeks of the standard, more practical curriculum, she was going to end the course with something new—a unit on poetry.
“I thought it would be an interesting challenge for this group of students. It was a little out of their comfort zone, but they embraced the exercise and did a really great job with it.“
Caroline’s students came from several different countries, including Haiti, Sudan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Their experience with poetry was varied, and most had never written their own poems.
To familiarize them with the form, Caroline had her students read and discuss several poems written about immigration.
“I also just happened to have a book of Haitian poetry, called Blue Flare. It’s bilingual, so I had one of the Haitian students read in their language, and then we read it in English. It was a fun exercise, even for the students who don’t speak Creole or French. They enjoyed hearing the music of it.”
Caroline, an ESOL Instructor, says writing poetry was a chance for her students to practice their English and reflect on their journeys to the U.S.
Caroline also assigned her students to read poems by Langston Hughes, Tishani Doshi, Ada Limón, Maggie Smith, and Marie-Célie Agnant. In class discussions, they learned about figurative language and poetic forms. Then it was time to try their hands at writing their own poems in English. To get them started, she offered a series of prompts, such as “Begin each sentence with the phrase, ‘I remember…’” Caroline says this is a common prompt in beginners’ workshops because of its accessibility and how it helps writers tap into their emotions.
“I was trying to frame for the students, you don’t need to have a lot of prior knowledge or practice to write poetry. You can sit down today and write something, and that’s a valuable way to spend that time.“
Having students use their developing English skills to reflect on their memories, which were often about life before coming to the U.S., proved to be both educational and therapeutic.
“The students were very thoughtful about their words. I think it pushed them beyond the level that they’ve been at with writing to try to write in a way that is also beautiful or impactful and has some emotional resonance too.“
A Different Kind of English Learning
Rudbeckia came to the U.S. in 2025. She says that her native city of Mantanzas is described as the ‘Athens of Cuba’ or the ‘Poetry City’ because it’s been home to many poets and other artists. While she herself had never written poetry before Caroline’s class, Rudbeckia says that in her family, there was a tradition of reading poetry, and she had enjoyed books by poets José Martí and Calindra Oliver Labra.
Rudbeckia chose to write a poem about her mother, “a brilliant doctor” and “the best mom”
Being asked to write poetry in English while she was still learning the language was challenging—but a wonderful experience.
“This class with Caroline was marvelous. Finding out about poetry in the U.S. and learning about the lives of the poets was a different kind of English learning, but I found that Caroline transmits learning with love, and the whole class enjoyed it.”
When asked to write about a memory, Rudbeckia chose to write about her mother (for whom she is named), who passed away a few years ago.
“My mom was always my empowering person. My mom was a very strong and sensible woman. She had to change her life in accordance with the political government. She taught our family that the most important thing is for the family to be together and enjoy life. I admire my mom because she was a brilliant doctor—an orthopedic pediatric doctor—and was the best mom.”
Rudbeckia says that when she started the class, she was nervous, but Caroline helped her feel safe and supported thanks to her patience, kindness, and positive energy. “I miss the class in this moment,” she says. “[We felt like] a happy family.”
“I think the experience in the poetry class was very emotional because all of the students wrote about their feelings. This only occurs when you feel happy in a place. When you feel afraid or you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t express your feelings.”
Mom By Rudbeckia Today I write about my mom. Her name was Rudbeckia. She was the first female orthopedic surgeon in Cuba. She loved orthopedics, she loved the operating room, and she loved teaching. For her, orthopedics was like a family. She never stopped studying or reading books. She had four children, and together with my grandmother, she educated us and helped shape the people we are today. For her, the most important things were family and family harmony. Her home was the center of our family, a place where we shared both our problems and our joys. Her granddaughters adored her as well. She was strong, capable, disciplined, and punctual. She passed away four years ago, but even today, whenever I feel tired or ready to give up, I think of her. Then I tell myself, “If she could do it, I can do it too,” and I keep going. My mother taught me that perseverance, love, and dedication can overcome any obstacle. Her example, her values, and her strength continue to guide me every day. She will always live in my heart and in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.
The Collection
Throughout the poetry unit, Caroline’s students wrote several poems in response to the prompts Caroline assigned them. On the last day of class, each student selected one of their poems, edited it, and submitted it to their “class book.” Caroline compiled the submissions into a packet and presented a copy to each student at their class graduation ceremony. That the class has now agreed to share their poems with IINE’s community is a testament to their pride in the accomplishment and the comfort their instructor has instilled in sharing their feelings through writing in a language they are still learning.
IINE has served more than 13,000 immigrants from Haiti over the past several years, as well as many immigrants from Syria, and we’re acutely aware of how dire conditions remain in those countries. The recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the termination of Temporary Protected Status for both nations hit close to home.
In addition to fear and dread from the many affected, we’ve heard a ripple of questions from community members about what this ruling means: What is TPS? How does someone get this immigration status? And how does it differ from other immigration statuses, like being a refugee or asylum seeker?
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was created as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. Advocates like Massachusetts Congressman Joe Moakley of South Boston had pushed for protections for Salvadorans who had escaped a brutal civil war and now faced returning to those dangerous conditions because they were being classified as “economic migrants” rather than asylum seekers.
While some legislators opposed creating a new pathway to citizenship, they still recognized the need to avoid sending people back to countries in which they were likely to face harm. The compromise was a temporary legal status that would allow residents to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. After a set period, the government would review conditions in the designated country and decide whether protection should continue.
Since its creation, TPS has provided a lifeline for well over one million people from countries facing crises, from civil war in Syria to earthquakes and political violence in Haiti and the invasion of Ukraine.
Here are five things to know about TPS, who it protects, and why it matters.
1. TPS allows certain immigrants already living in the U.S. to remain for as long as returning to their countries of origin is judged to be life-threatening.
According to federal law, countries may be designated for TPS because of:
Armed conflict, such as civil war
Environmental disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes
Epidemics
“Other extraordinary and temporary conditions”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines whether a country qualifies for TPS after reviewing conditions on the ground, including political stability, human rights concerns, and health conditions.
To be eligible for TPS, immigrants must be nationals of the designated country, have been living in the U.S. since a specified date, and apply during a specified registration period.
2. TPS is initially granted for a short period of time and then renewed if country conditions have not improved.
TPS is initially designated for a period of six, twelve, or eighteen months. Before this period expires, DHS revisits conditions in the country.
If the country is considered to still be in crisis, the U.S. government can renew TPS for those who have already applied and received the protection, and may redesignate the status to extend it to additional individuals fleeing the same conditions. If conditions appear to have improved enough for people to return to their country of origin safely, TPS can be ended. This has happened for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Angola, and Sierra Leone, for example, after wars concluded and stability improved. In many other cases, however, conflict and danger have persisted far longer than expected, and TPS has been repeatedly renewed, sometimes for many years or even decades.
There is no limit to the number of times TPS can be renewed. The decision is meant to be based solely on whether conditions in the country make a safe return possible.
3. TPS holders are thoroughly vetted, authorized to work, and contribute tremendously to the U.S. economy.
To receive TPS, applicants must pass a rigorous background check. Once approved, they are eligible to apply for a work permit, which is valid for as long as they hold the status.
TPS holders fill roles in vital industries that face persistent worker shortages, including healthcare, eldercare, construction, hospitality, transportation, and food production.
They were heavily represented amongst the “essential workers” who helped get us all through the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, TPS holders continue to be essential to our communities and contribute billions of dollars to the economy each year as taxpayers and consumers.
4. Many TPS holders have built lives in the U.S., yet the status does not offer a pathway to citizenship.
While they initially flee to the U.S. out of necessity, TPS holders become our neighbors, friends, and co-workers. Over the years, or even decades, that they call the U.S. home, they buy houses, build careers, join congregations, have families, and raise American children. They become entrepreneurs at impressively high rates, and enrich our communities with cultural contributions, including cuisine, arts, ideas, and fashion. Even without the full rights and protections afforded by citizenship, they become Americans in every other important sense.
5. New federal policies are threatening TPS, putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk.
At the start of President Trump’s second term, TPS protected approximately 1.3 million people from 17 countries. The administration immediately announced the termination of TPS for eight of these countries and worked to restrict the status for others.
In several cases, such as Haiti and Afghanistan, TPS terminations occurred even while the U.S. government continued to maintain travel advisories warning U.S. citizens about conditions in those same countries.
Federal judges initially blocked or delayed several terminations, but a recent Supreme Court decision has now largely exempted TPS decisions from judicial review, giving the executive branch greater authority to terminate protections.
Ending TPS prematurely not only threatens the lives of TPS holders, but also threatens to separate families, devastate our workforce and economy, and—because so many TPS holders work in healthcare professions with severe labor shortages—abandon patients, people with disabilities, and elders throughout the country.
IINE joined community members in advocating for the safety and rights of TPS holders at the Protect Haitian TPS Rally in Boston on July 23, 2026
Providing a lasting solution now calls for action from Congress. It will require reversing recent harmful decisions, protecting TPS from politically driven terminations, and creating a permanent pathway to citizenship for long-term residents who have become integral members of our communities.
By Jeff Thielman, President & CEO of the International Institute of New England
As a host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. has welcomed elite athletes and passionate fans from around the world. Here in New England, we’ve been in on the fun—seven matches played at “Boston Stadium” in Foxborough drew hundreds of thousands of international visitors to our region.
After 18 months of xenophobic laws and propaganda from our federal government, the World Cup feels like a breath of fresh air, giving us the opportunity to celebrate diverse cultures and make new friends.
1) We pride ourselves on our welcoming and diverse culture.
By now, you’ve likely encountered this sentiment from international visitors, whether in person, on the news, or via your social media feeds: We were told Americans don’t like foreigners, but in reality, they could not be more welcoming!
TheBoston Herald’s editorial page noted that “World Cup visitors have injected hosting cities with infectious enthusiasm, soaring spirits and camaraderie,” gushing over comments from visitors about the kindness and generosity of Americans.
In the Boston Globe, Adrian Walker remarked on the incongruity of this experience with our national politics: “I recognize that people here for the World Cup are tourists, not immigrants. Even so, they are demonstrating on an hourly basis how much better letting people in is than shutting them out. Turns out building a big tent is a lot more fun than building a wall.”
In fact, a recent study shows that 89% of Americans who personally know a refugee support the U.S. refugee resettlement program. That’s easy to believe when you learn about World Cup stories like the city of Lawrence, Kansas embracing its role as host to the Algerian team who competed here this year, while human rights challenges plague their country back home.
From the Associated Press: “The more we learned of the challenges Algerians faced to get here, the stronger our commitment became to show how welcoming our city could be,” said Ruth DeWitt, the director of community relations for the city’s convention and visitors bureau. “They quickly became our home team.”
2) Where there’s a will (to welcome the stranger), the U.S. finds a way.
Welcoming millions of people from countries around the world is a tremendous logistical challenge. We just proved we can do it. The U.S. decided that the benefits of hosting the World Cup were worth the effort of coordinating with an international body, partnering closely with Mexico and Canada, and empowering states and cities to be effective hosts. The results have been remarkable.
Across North America, FIFA Fan Festivals drew nearly 2 million attendees in the tournament’s opening week alone. Host cities coordinated transportation, volunteers, multilingual information, security, public viewing spaces, accessibility services, and cultural programming.
Locally, the city of Boston arranged special MBTA commuter rail service to Foxborough, planned multiple public outdoor viewing parties, and expanded nightlife policies and public gathering spaces.
When the “Tartan Army”—tens of thousands of fans of Scotland’s national soccer team—descended on New England at once, a deep friendship blossomed, concluding with an official declaration that Glasgow is now our sister city.
At IINE, we see heartwarming connections like this all the time. For more than a century, we’ve been helping newcomers find housing, connect to services, find their way around, and learn about our culture. We’d love to see the same spirit of coordination and support for these efforts as we’re seeing during the Cup. In some ways, the benefits are similar. Newcomers end up bringing billions of dollars into the economy, improving our image throughout the world, and making our communities more vibrant.
3) We rally behind our immigrant communities.
While it was thrilling to watch the U.S. team, the tournament also gave our immigrant communities the opportunity to cheer on their home country teams—often with the enthusiastic support of their American neighbors.
Massachusetts has the largest Cape Verdean immigrant population in the U.S., news to many other residents until they found themselves cheering alongside Cape Verdean fans as the tiny country—at its first World Cup—faced off against the top-rated teams of Spain and Argentina. Meanwhile, the large population of Moroccan immigrants in suburbs like Revere generated a sea of starred red flags, hats, and capes on Boston Common.
And then, of course, there is Haiti. IINE has served more than 13,000 Haitian immigrants over the past few years. Every day they are barraged with terrible news from Haiti and ongoing hostility from the U.S. government. Haiti’s first World Cup appearance has offered much-needed joy—both for Haitians and for those of us cheering them on.
The fact is, when divisive politics are taken out of the equation, we love being a nation of immigrants, and when given the chance, we root for each other.
4) It feels good to be part of the international community.
Our nation’s foreign policy has become increasingly isolationist as our leaders abandon treaties and alliances, initiate armed conflicts, threaten to conquer sovereign nations, and encourage other countries to close their borders and embrace nationalism. At home, our federal government has closed the doors to refugees, asylum seekers, and many immigrants seeking to reunite with their families, study, work, and rebuild their lives here. They are teaching the world to fear and mistrust us.
This summer, we’re getting a glimpse of something different.
5) We value the immigrants who represent us on the world stage.
Folarin Balogun, a talented striker on the U.S. team, would not have qualified if President Trump had successfully revoked birthright citizenship
From Newsweek:“Six players on the U.S. men’s national soccer team at the 2026 World Cup were born outside the country. More than half the 26 men on the roster hold dual citizenship. And the striker who scored twice in the Americans’ opening 4-1 victory over Paraguay is eligible to play only because of a legal provision the Trump administration has sought to eliminate.”
The U.S. President personally advocated for that striker, Folarin Balogun, in a controversial phone call to FIFA, yet Balogun qualified for the U.S. team through birthright citizenship.
What happened to President Trump’s ideology in this moment? He wanted to win and recognized that an immigrant was the key to our success. Hopefully, this lesson will resonate with Americans long after the Cup is awarded.
The below letter from IINE President & CEO Jeff Thielman is an excerpt from our July 2026 Spotlight Report on Putting Down Roots in Lowell.
To learn more about IINE’s history in the city, how this new center will lead to expanded and innovative support for refugees and immigrants, and how you can get involved with this work, click here to read the full Spotlight Report.
Lowell, Massachusetts, has long exemplified the promise of a “Gateway City.” By welcoming successive generations of immigrants and refugees, it has become an economic engine for the state and a place where cultures from across the world have mingled to create a community that is uniquely American. Immigrants helped put Lowell on the map by powering its famed role in the Industrial Revolution, and over the decades, newcomers have continued to help meet the city’s changing needs while shaping its character.
IINE’s own work began in Lowell in 1918, when a group of pioneering women at the local YWCA opened our doors to help a growing population of immigrant women and girls find their footing, integrate into the city’s workforce and civic life, and thrive in their new home. Over the past century, we’ve built on this model of welcoming and now serve thousands of newcomers every year.
As shifting federal priorities create uncertainty about our nation’s commitment to welcoming newcomers, IINE is making a bold investment in their future—right where our story began. This investment will bring our Lowell programs under one roof, creating a lasting, permanent home for opportunity, connection, and community.
Rooted in the historic Lower Highlands neighborhood, this dynamic community hub will enable us to respond to the evolving needs of immigrants, refugees, and the broader Lowell community for generations to come.
Surrounded by trusted partners and designed for growth, the new center will expand access to critical services, foster belonging, and serve as a launchpad for innovative programs that help newcomers build stable, prosperous lives.
This is a defining moment for investment in Massachusetts’ immigrant communities. While policies and priorities may change, the contributions of newcomers remain a constant source of strength and vitality for our state. In the face of uncertainty, we are choosing to lead with vision—creating new opportunities, forging stronger connections, and building a brighter future rooted in welcome, resilience, and belonging.
The Refugee Act of1980 created a more just, efficient, secure, and strategic U.S. refugee admissions and resettlement process. It passed with bipartisan support and put into place a system that has since saved the lives of more than 3 million people from around the world.
It included a rigorous, complex, and comprehensive vetting process for refugees referred to the U.S. for resettlement, which typically took applicants many years to complete.
In 2025, during his first week in office, President Trump suspended the U.S Refugee Admissions Program by executive order, stranding tens of thousands of displaced people, including many who had already completed vetting and many who were still in the process. Around the world, flights were cancelled, families learned they wouldn’t be reunited, and individuals had to return to refugee camps and other temporary, subpar living situations, with no clear idea of when they would once again be considered for resettlement in the U.S. A common—and unsubstantiated—justification for the suspension was that applicants were being insufficiently vetted. In reality, refugees are the most highly vetted group to immigrate to the U.S.
This simulation attempts to describe the many rigorous steps, along with the frequent twists, turns, and delays, that individuals faced as part of the U.S. refugee admissions process before the program was suspended. We hope that one effect will be to capture the incredible drive, resilience, and hope refugees show in completing this process while they are still processing trauma and dreaming of a brighter, safer future for themselves and their families.
For more than 150 years, birthright citizenship has been a defining promise of the United States. The International Institute of New England commends the U.S. Supreme Court for upholding this fundamental principle, which reflects our national values of freedom, opportunity, and fairness.
President Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship would have had devastating consequences for millions. According to the ACLU, as many as 5 million children could have faced statelessness over the next two decades, creating enormous barriers to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Ending birthright citizenship would also have threatened to tear families apart, as parents in the U.S. with legal status grappled with the possibility of their children being detained and deported.
The Court’s decision affirms not only constitutional precedent, but our nation’s enduring commitment to equal protection under the law. Birthright citizenship ensures that all Americans—our neighbors, our healthcare workers, our troops—can live and contribute without fear of being treated as second-class citizens.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, we celebrate the generations of Americans whose contributions were made possible by our commitment to jus soli—the simple, powerful idea that all people born on U.S. soil are equal and belong.
On June 10, 2026, supporters, partners, and community members gathered at WBUR CitySpace for the International Institute of New England’s 2nd annual WILLOW Fund panel discussion, an inspiring morning dedicated to advancing opportunities for refugee and immigrant women.
WILLOW stands for the Women’s Initiative for Learning, Liberation, Opportunity, and Wellbeing. The fund was created in 2024 to raise support for refugee women and girls, who make up half of the global refugee population and face unique challenges to resettlement stemming from factors like health needs, past experiences of violence, unequal access to education and opportunity, and childcare responsibilities. Tickets for the event went towards the fund, which will help cover tailored programming for IINE’s clients.
A Young Afghan Refugee Shares Her Story
This year’s celebration featured a Suitcase Stories® performance by Beheshta, a participant in IINE’s Refugee Youth program. Beheshta read from Bridges, a collection of personal stories created in one of the program’s writing workshops. Entitled “America, I Love You,” the story shares Beheshta’s experience of escaping Taliban rule in her home country, living in a refugee camp, where she felt fear but also formed meaningful friendships, and rebuilding her life—one of freedom and hope—in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“I have the freedom to make personal decisions about my clothes, my work, and my friends. I can independently chase my dreams and be in control of my own life. America, I love you.”
Panelists Share Personal Experiences and Insights
This year’s panel was moderated by Dr. Claudine Gay, a distinguished political scientist and the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. She previously served as Harvard’s 30th president and is the daughter of Haitian immigrants. A nationally recognized scholar of democracy and political behavior, Dr. Gay brings a deep commitment to equity, representation, and inclusive leadership to her work.
Panelists included:
Ana Hebra Flaster, an award-winning author and Cuban refugee whose writing explores identity, migration, and the immigrant experience
Yves Salomon-Fernández, President of Urban College of Boston, and an advocate for educational access and economic mobility for immigrant communities
Mariana Siqueira, Talent Acquisition Lead at Triumvirate Environmental, who specializes in creating inclusive hiring practices and career pathways
Alexandra (Xan) Weber, MSW, LICSW, Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at IINE, leading fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement to expand opportunities for refugees and immigrants
By way of introduction, IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman framed the panel discussion by explaining that, “women are often at the center of the resettlement journey… caring for families, learning a new language, entering the workforce, and creating stability—all while adapting to a new culture themselves.”
Over the course of the discussion, Yves Salomon-Fernández highlighted the transformative role that education can play for immigrant and refugee women, noting that access to learning doesn’t just change an individual’s life, it reshapes families and future generations. “You will see a student sitting at the kitchen table with her kids around her… those children are not going to be first-generation college students—they’re going to be legacy students.” She also underscored the importance of designing institutions that meet women where they are, especially as caregivers balancing multiple responsibilities.
From left to right, panelists Yves Salomon-Fernández, Xan Weber, Mariana Siqueira, and Ana Hebra Flaster
Noting with pride that her mother, a Brazilian immigrant, was in attendance at the event, Mariana Siqueira spoke to bringing her dual identities as a Brazilian and an American into her life and work. She highlighted how the unique perspectives of immigrants strengthen the American workforce. “That diversity of thought… is going to make you more well-rounded. When you bring in someone who’s worked in a different country or culture, you get new ways of solving problems.”
Xan Weber spoke to the structural barriers refugee and immigrant women must overcome, as primary caregivers who have had less access to opportunity and must now contribute to their family’s stability as they begin rebuilding their lives. “Women… are doing a lot more for other people than for themselves, which creates real barriers to accessing support,” she said. “They come here not only to build a life for themselves, but to make sure others can have that opportunity too.”
Ana Hebra Flaster emphasized the emotional complexity of the refugee experience—how joy and opportunity often coexist with profound loss. She spoke about the power of storytelling as a way for families, especially women across generations, to preserve identity, build resilience, and envision a future despite displacement.
“The courage—the ability to leave everything behind, everyone you know, and start new… their dreams have come true, but their hearts have been broken at the same time,” she said.
In closing, Dr. Gay asked each panelist what gives them hope in a challenging time for refugee and immigrant women. Each panelist found the answer simple: the gathering itself; the insight and sensitivity of their fellow panelists; and the dedication of the attendees to supporting extraordinary women and girls as they rebuild their lives and enrich our communities.
“I believe in humans,” Flaster said. “I believe in our capacity to see the other once we get to know them… when that touches us, we change, and we become human.”
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Support refugee and immigrant women with a donation to the WILLOW Fund.
While numbers alone can never fully tell the stories of real people living with loss and fear, separation from their loved ones, and no clear path to safety, 2025 data in this “Global Trends” report is stark enough to sound an alarm about a humanitarian relief system in serious decline.
At the end of 2025, there were 41.6 million refugees globally.
One in every 70 people, or 1.4 per cent of the entire world’s population, is now forcibly displaced.
70% of refugees have been displaced for five years or more with no pathway forward.
39% of refugees are children.
A three percent decrease in refugees from 2024 does not indicate that conflicts were resolved and individuals were safe once again. Rather, it is due to an increase in people being pressured to return to the home counties they fled, with no guarantee of safety.
Far from meeting this challenge, structural support for refugee resettlement is on the decline throughout our global community.
Refugee resettlement collapsed by more than half, with resettled refugees dropping from 188,800 in 2024 to just 81,800 in 2025.
Asylum backlogs grew for the ninth consecutive year, impacting 9 million people awaiting a decision on their future.
Safe pathways are shrinking, with far fewer people able to access resettlement or sponsorship routes.
While these trends are disheartening, it is important to note that the actions of governments worldwide do not necessarily reflect the feelings of their communities and individuals. Here in the U.S., where the refugee resettlement and immigration systems are being undermined by federal policies, polls show that 69% of U.S. voters from both major political parties support maintaining a refugee resettlement program. This support increases to 84% when people have had personal contact with refugees.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we remain a nation of immigrants that values freedom, fairness, opportunity, and the diversity that defines us. In the face of these global trends, IINE’s work at the local level has never been more important. Together, we protect and strengthen the refugee program by continuing to show up for the displaced people who reach our communities eager to contribute and succeed; by helping them to put down roots, learn English and flourish in the workforce; by amplifying their voices; by celebrating their successes; and by advocating for laws and policies that prioritize human dignity, equal opportunity, and prosperity for all.
