MRS was once again at the forefront of many advocacy initiatives designed to protect the rights of many migrants, refugees , and immigrants.In 2004, MRS worked with the State Department, the White House and ,embers of congress to increase the number of refugees admitted into the United States, which rose from 28,211 in FY 2003 to 52,232 in FY 2004, an increase of nearly 80 percent. MRS advocated for and helped win the passage in the United States Senate of bipartisan legislation designed to protect children who enter the Unites States unaccompanied by a parent or a guardian. Opposed harsh Immigration provisions in the intelligence reform Act of 2004 and continued to advocate for reforms in our nation’s immigration laws. In addition, MRS advocated with officials at the Department of Homeland Security to preserve the rights of asylum-seekers in the United States, to provide alternatives to detention for immigrants and asylum-seeks, and also ensure that children were treated within strict child welfare guidelines.
