International Institute of New England

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween 🎃 Earlier this week, staff welcomed refugee and immigrant families to our Lowell office for an afternoon of trick-or-treating!🍬 We hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

10/30/2026

Thank you so much to New Hampshire Women's Foundation for honoring IINE with the She Change Award at this year’s Women Building Community Luncheon. We are proud to be recognized as an innovative and impactful organization that works to enhance life for women, girls and gender expansive people, and to receive recognition for our “LNA for Success” program. This skills training program prepares refugees and immigrants to enter the healthcare field as Licensed Nursing Assistants. Our team were excited to join this celebration and be in the company of so many accomplished and compassionate women building community in New Hampshire.

10/29/2026

Welcome & Compassion 🤝💗 The federal government continues to threaten refugees who are simply trying to peacefully rebuild their lives in our communities. However, as a community we have the power to lead with kindness and support our refugee and immigrant neighbors.

Your donation to IINE today helps us:

⚖️ Challenge cruel policies through litigation

📃 Educate and support refugees who may be at risk

📣 Advocate for legislators to stop these pointless attacks

📚💼✨ Continue providing the services refugees need to rebuild their lives and thrive in their new homes

In the face of this administration’s cruelty, your welcome and compassion make all the difference. Please consider donating today: https://hubs.li/Q04CQCkr0

10/28/2026

Test Your Knowledge💡The U.S. immigration system has undergone rapid changes in recent years, creating new barriers and uncertainties for refugees and immigrants. How much do you know about the policies shaping their lives? ✅ Take the quiz to better understand the challenges facing immigrant communities today: https://hubs.li/Q04CGv_h0

10/28/2026

“We want the government to be ordered to begin processing green cards. We want the government to be ordered to stop revetting refugees simply because they were admitted during the presidency of Joe Biden,” IINE President and CEO jeff Thielman told GBH News as IINE joins a second federal lawsuit to challenge policies that strip refugees of longstanding protections. The current administration’s three sweeping new policies would block lawfully admitted refugees from obtaining permanent residency, subject them to mass re-vetting, and make it easier for the federal government to terminate their refugee status. We are proud to join Democracy Forward, International Refugee Assistance Project, fellow advocacy organizations, and four individual plaintiffs to try to block these policies from taking effect. When our nation welcomes refugees to the U.S., it promises them a safer and brighter future, and this promise must be upheld.

Read the article to learn more: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-10-26/mass-national-groups-sue-trump-administration-over-refugee-policies

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the District of Massachusetts in Boston and targets U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

10/28/2026

Laying the foundations 🏛️ IINE’s new Resource Centers are OPEN and our staff and trained volunteers are ready to help immigrants navigate life in the U.S. and connect with the support they need. Our FREE services include:

📝 Career guidance and resume review
🏠 Help with housing search
🏥 Support to access healthcare
⚖️ Immigration legal services

To learn more about our Resource Centers and how to get connected with support, visit our page: https://hubs.li/Q04CFFnC0

10/27/2026

Riding with a Cause 🚴 This year's Ride for Refugees and Immigrants participants shared their reasons for getting involved in our annual charity bike ride. In addition to raising funds to support our refugee and immigrant community members, they shared that they ride for their love of their country, for their students, and for humanity. We are so close to reaching our $60K goal to provide our newest neighbors with food and housing support, English language classes, employment support, skills training, and immigration legal services.

Help us cross the finish line by donating today: https://hubs.li/Q04CxpPs0

10/26/2026

Proud to join Democracy Forward, International Refugee Assistance Project, fellow refugee advocacy organizations, and four individual plaintiffs in this lawsuit to protect refugees as the current administration works to strip refugees of their status.

Learn more about the lawsuit and how you can support: https://iine.org/get-involved/join-our-community/advocacy/federal-lawsuits/

The Trump-Vance admin is attempting to block lawfully admitted refugees from obtaining permanent residency, subject them to mass re-vetting, and slash time to defend their refugee status.

We will fight in court to protect refugees' work statuses, paths to citizenship, and families and communities.

10/22/2026

Protect Refugees 📣 The administration recently announced that it will allow 17,500 refugees into the country this year—but nearly all of those slots will go to one population. That means that thousands of people who fled persecution and were approved to enter the country years ago, including allies who supported the U.S. abroad, will remain stranded. Their families will remain separated. Meanwhile, September saw a record number of mass deportations, and refugees who are already in our communities are losing access to food assistance, healthcare, and other essential support. But there is some good news: because of your compassion, refugees are still finding belonging and opportunity in our communities. As we continue to fight to protect their rights, please consider making a donation in support: https://hubs.li/Q04C2Y-B0

10/21/2026

“Every time we help [refugees and immigrants], we win. We fight back against the racism and xenophobia of this administration, and I believe over time, we will prevail,” IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman shared with the The Boston Globe in response to the president's recent harmful comments about our Somali community members. Despite these attacks, refugees and immigrants still believe in the character of the U.S. that welcomed them and work hard to rebuild their lives here. We stand with them and will continue to speak up to defend their rights and safety. Read the full article below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Remind me: Where have we seen this before, and how did it work out?