Krish O'Mara Vignarajah

@krishvignarajah.bsky.social

Proud mom | President & CEO @globalrefuge.bsky.social | Policy Director in Obama White House | #RefugeesWelcome #ImmigrationReform

Labor Day isn’t just a day off. It’s a celebration of the workers, unions, and movements that built the eight-hour workday, safer job sites, and the dignity of a fair wage. That history of people organizing and showing up for one another is the same spirit that has always driven America's progress.

Global Refuge@globalrefuge.bsky.social · 6d ago

Today, we celebrate the refugees and immigrants educating students, caring for patients, growing businesses, and strengthening communities across the country. Happy Labor Day! #immigrantstrong #refugeeswelcome

America's workforce needs...
Teachers
Doctors
Engineers
Caregivers
Immigrants.
[Global Refuge logo]

Absolutely tragic: a 20-yr-old honors student, 8 days into college, is dead.   His family believes he took his own life under the weight of having his status stripped and being made to wear an ankle monitor. My heart is with his loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.   1/

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 2w ago

Like an estimated 350,000 Haitian immigrants, Pierre Damas Bel had recently lost temporary protected status, which is given to people fleeing nations experiencing disaster. He was recently run over and killed in what his family believes was a suicide. https://wapo.st/4cmZ8AJ

A few weeks ago, I got a question I often get lately: "Has it ever been this bad?" I understand the impulse. The headlines feel unprecedented. But I know enough about U.S. immigration policy history, and my own family's story, to know that the answer is actually "yes, we’ve been here before.”

Five years ago, the world watched the fall of Kabul. Many assume the evacuation marked the end of our Afghan resettlement effort. In reality, it was only the beginning. Many Afghan allies remain separated from family members or stranded despite being vetted and approved through lawful pathways.

“They now face an impossible choice: remain without status and risk arrest and deportation, or return to a Haiti marred by gang violence, kidnapping and the collapse of basic services.” More from our President & CEO, @krishvignarajah.bsky.social, in The Guardian today 👇

Krish O'Mara Vignarajah@krishvignarajah.bsky.social · last mo.

My thoughts in @theguardian.com about the contradiction at the heart of terminating TPS for Haiti and the devastating impact it’s poised to have on ~350,000 Haitians legally residing in the U.S. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

In 2026 alone, 4 people have been killed by ICE in the streets. Another 21 have died while in ICE custody. Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal. Behind each number is a name, a family, and a grieving community. We mourn with them and demand accountability.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52
Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 26
Adrian Andreas Florian, 85
Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, 63
Mamuka Artmeladze, 43
Denny Adán González, 33
Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, 27
Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, 49
Tuan Van Bui, 55
José Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, 52
Royer Pérez Jiménez, 19
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41
Emmanuel Cleeford Damas, 56
Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, 59
Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, 48
Jairo García-Hernández, 27
Lorth Sim, 59
Heber Sánchez Domínguez, 34
Alex Pretti, 37
Renee Good, 37
Victor Manuel Díaz, 36
Parady La, 46
Luis Beltrán Yañez-Cruz, 68
Luis Gustavo Nuñez Caceres, 42
Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55
Keith Porter, 43

Absolutely awful. Two fatal ICE shootings in under a week, and in both cases, no body cameras to show what actually happened. Independent, transparent investigations are the bare minimum here. No matter who or where, ICE does not get to play judge, jury, and executioner.

The New York Times@nytimes.com · 2mo ago

Breaking News: An ICE agent shot and killed a person in a vehicle in Maine this morning, according to the state attorney general’s office.

#SCOTUS just issued a ruling that allows asylum seekers to be turned back at our borders. As a reminder, seeking asylum is not only legal in the U.S., it's a recognized human right. We must create a system rooted in compassion & justice that upholds our history of providing refuge to those in need.

Seeking asylum is a human right.
[Global Refuge logo]

At Global Refuge, we are once again saying enough is enough. What’s happening at Delaney Hall is abhorrent and we simply cannot stand by and allow this treatment of immigrants to continue. And if the budget reconciliation is passed, this kind of detention will receive even more funding.

Global Refuge@globalrefuge.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Right now, immigrants at Delaney Hall and in other facilities across the country are on a hunger strike in protest of inhumane conditions including rotten food, unpaid labor, unhygienic facilities, and inadequate medical care. We can't stand by and allow this treatment to continue. 🚨⤵️

Immigrants are human beings. Stand with your neighbors. [Global Refuge logo]

New analysis in a report from @nber.org and @colorado.edu underscores a critical point: immigration crackdowns aren’t translating into more jobs for Americans. In fact, the research shows reduced labor demand in key sectors—and fewer opportunities for U.S.-born workers.

Heightened ICE enforcement harms US-born workers, shrinks workforce

A new study shows that heightened immigration enforcement reduces employment opportunities for some U.S. born men while shrinking the overall workforce,

colorado.edu

On Memorial Day, we pause to remember all who gave their lives in service to this country, among them, the refugees and immigrants who chose this country as their own and then gave everything to defend it. We honor them today.

Global Refuge@globalrefuge.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This Memorial Day, we honor the incredible sacrifices of those who lost their lives in the service of our nation, including the many refugees and other immigrants who risked everything for their adopted home.

Honoring Memorial Day
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There’s a reason why ICE has lost 10,000 times in detention cases — and why it’s losing in the court of public opinion. My thoughts on @velshi.com about landmark reporting from @kyledcheney.bsky.social, who exposed the vast number of illegal detentions of Dreamers, children, refugees and more. 👇

Ali Velshi@velshi.com · 4mo ago

Judges overwhelmingly rebuke ICE practices in court. “The administration wants the narrative to line up with their campaign rhetoric, but it doesn’t line up with reality," says @krishvignarajah.bsky.social. "It never was about immigration enforcement and deterrence," adds @allenorr.bsky.social.

"Tomorrow’s arguments carry enormous consequences, not just for Haitian & Syrian TPS holders, but potentially for more than a million people across 17 nationalities who rely on this protection." - @krishvignarajah.bsky.social 📰Read our full statement: bit.ly/4ua9lql #Haiti #Syria #TPS

STATEMENT: Supreme Court hearing on TPS for Haiti and Syria

Global Refuge released a statement in advance of the Supreme Court hearing on TPS for Haiti and Syria on April 29, 2026.

bit.ly