MIRA: Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Inc.

Join us for the second year of the Cambridge Refugee Food Festival. A vibrant outdoor food market featuring bites from around the world, all crafted by talented refugee chefs and cooks living in the Greater Boston.

Taste flavors from Cuba, Haiti, Morocco, Somalia, Ukraine, Venezuela, and more while learning about the rich cultures, traditions, and journeys behind each dish. In addition to global eats, the festival will highlight local organizations supporting refugee communities, with educational activities, storytelling, and resources for deeper engagement.

📆 Friday, June 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍PAGU, 310 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
🎟 Tickets here https://resy.com/cities/boston-ma/venues/pagu/events/2026-refugee-food-festival-2026-06-20?seats=2&date=2026-05-27

FIFA World Cup 2026 is here!

⚽️ While soccer is known globally as “the beautiful game” that often unites international communities, plans for this year’s games are already dampened by harsh new travel bans and exorbitant visa bonds imposed by the US.

⚽️ For those who can make it into the US, it could become a very different experience than anticipated, due to increasingly authoritarian trends in immigration enforcement.

⚽️ MIRA is partnering with Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, and Fair Immigration Reform Movement to provide a ✨travel advisory✨ for visitors as well as resources for local New England residents and business owners who want to safely enjoy the games.

✨ Find more graphics in multiple languages on our website!

➡️ https://bit.ly/NETravelAdvisoryFIFA

Join us for a discussion on the impact of the housing instability for immigrant communities. We will also discuss how Immigrant-led organizations are responding. Featuring MIRA's Director, State Government Affairs, Amy Grunder and MIRA's Organizing Director, Mariana Dutra.

📽 LIVE @ 12pm on MIRA's YouTube, Facebook & Instagram channels

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 30th annual Give Liberty a Hand celebration last month!

While the night was a tremendous success, we are still at 87% of our fundraising goal and only need $38,000 to close the gap. Your support ensures that MIRA can continue to mobilize our coalition of community-based organizations, pursue critical legislative victories, and sustain programs that directly support immigrant communities across the Commonwealth.

Please help us reach our goal ⤵️
bit.ly/SupportMIRA2026

Meet our new colleague for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI),
Niyi Badmus! ✨Niyi joins as our new MACI Salesforce Manager!✨

Niyi was born in Nigeria. Before joining MIRA, he worked in a variety of roles that strengthened his expertise in Salesforce implementation, optimization, and administration, supporting organizations in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. His interest in community centered work and his own immigrant journey inspired him to join the MIRA team and contribute to systems that support equity and opportunity.

Welcome to the team Niyi! Learn more about MACI ➡️ https://bit.ly/MACI2026

Learn more about the DOJ Recognition & Accreditation Program which expands capacity in immigration legal services in Massachusetts and throughout the country.

Download the one-pager on our website ⤵️
https://miracoalition.org/news/expanding-immigration-capacity-the-doj-recognition-accreditation-program/

Many people with open cases in Immigration Court are receiving notices rescheduling their preliminary (“master”) hearings to a much sooner date. This is because some immigration courts, including Boston, Chelmsford, and Hartford, are scheduling very large preliminary (“master”) hearings, sometimes with more than 100 cases at a time. These large hearings are being called “mega masters.”

Read more on our website ⤵️
https://miracoalition.org/news/important-immigration-court-update-mega-masters/

✨Graphics in
• English
• Portuguese
• Haitian Creole
• Spanish

MIRA Coalition’s Intro to Immigration: 2026 Summer Training Series is back!

This four-part virtual lunch hour series will present relevant, up-to-date, and accurate information on immigration topics. You can attend all 4 trainings, or choose individual sessions.

This series is open to all individuals who would like to increase their knowledge of immigration-related topics and learn about helpful resources for working with immigrant populations. This is an introductory training – no prior experience or knowledge is necessary!

Register ➡️ https://miracoalition.org/training-series/