2020's Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for refugee families globally, particularly those living in multi-generational households.
LEGEND
Events in San Diego
Events in United States
Global Events
San Diego County Refugee Families Emergency Fund
2020
Through Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) and in collaboration with prominent refugee programs in San Diego, this emergency fund plan provides small, one-time grants to cover rent, utilities, childcare, food, and other emergency needs for refugees in San Diego. As of May 22nd, they have already provided emergency grants to 250 families and a total of 1,502 individuals.
2020
Youth Mentoring Project Award
Three San Diego nonprofits (The International Rescue Committee, Jewish Family Services of San Diego, and Somali Bantu Association of America ) receive awards of$55,000 each to provide youth, ages 15-24, with mentoring services and to support refugee youth.
2021
Learning Pods at St. Luke's Episcopal Church San Diego
Recognizing that due to COVID-19 complications, many students are struggling to study in their sometimes crowded and noisy homes, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where many refugee families are members, creates a “learning pod”. Here, students can receive support and a quiet place attend their online classes while maintaining social distance.
Aug 15
2020
March
Title 42 Enacted
A public health order that allows suspension of entry to prevent communicable diseases is enacted in response to COVID-19 to expel asylum seekers. Under this enactment, migrants were turned away 2.8 million times.
COVID-19 Refugee Community Impact Report
2020
Sept
San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition surveyed 306 refugee families during the pandemic and their findings revealed 30% of families had missed or canceled health appointments, 42% of households lost jobs, 60% of families were unable to pay their rent in full, and 85% of children were impacted by distance learning, among others. Check out the full report here.
Jacumba Hot Springs Migrant Camp
2023
One of the largest makeshift migrant camps roughly 80 miles east of San Diego where hundreds of migrants arrive daily and wait after crossing the US-Mexico border.
2023
Record-breaking Number of Arrivals at the US-Mexico Border
2.5 million indivduals arrived at the US-Mexico border, a record breaking number for the third consecutive year.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
The still ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict has left 1.9 million people--or 90% of the population in Gaza--displaced. Statistic as of May 2025.
2023
Oct 7
2023
Dec 13
"Right to Hope" Exhibition Honors 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Organized by the UN Refugee Agency in Serbia, the exhibition features paintings, sculptures, and photographs of five refugee artists who were displaced due to violence and human rights violations and sought refuge in Serbia.
Measeles Outbreak in Migrant Shelter
2024
57 individuals in a migrant shelter in Chicago test positive for measeles, prompting mass vaccination efforts at Chicago migrant shelters.
2024
May 6
US Campus Protests
Protests erupt across the nation in response to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, impacting classes and graduations at universities across the country.
New Immigrant Welcome Center Opens
2024
Dec 4
San Diego County's second Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center opens in Escondido, joining the existing facility in National City to provide immigrant services to newcomers.
2025
South Sudan Conflict
The increasing tensions and conflict in South Sudan have led 165,000 people to flee between April - June, seeking shelter in nearby countries. The number of South Sudanese refugees in Chad has exceeded 1.2 million, far surpassing Chad's ability to provide support.
Executive Order 14167
Signed under President Trump, Executive Order 14167 calls on the military to support border enforcement, resulting in 10,000 armed service members being deployed, at an estimated cost of $376 million.
2025
Jan 20
2025
Jan 20
Ending Birthright Citizenship
President Trump's Executive Order aims to end birthright citizenship by refusing to grant citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented parents. The order is set to be effective February 19, 2025.
Executive Order on the US Refugee Program
2025
Jan 20
President Trump's Executive Order, Realigning the United States Refugee Program, ended the US Refugee Admissions Program. Refugee arrivals were indefinitely suspended.
2025
April 16
36 UC San Diego Student Visas Terminated
The federal government revoked F-1 visas from international studens across the United States, including at UC San Diego, with minimal justification.
United We Dream Bazaar
Hosted by License to Freedom, the event featured cultural crafts, food, performances, and small businesses run by refugee and immigrant women, to celebrate the resilience and empowerment of female, immigrant entrepreneurs.
2025
May 18
ICE Raid at Buona Forchetta
Four employees were detained during the dinner rush after ICE received a tip that some employees did not have legal status in the US.
2025
May 30
2021
MAKE
PROJECT
MAKE Projects (Merging Agriculture, Kitchens + Employment) is a social enterprise of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Their mission is to help refugee and immigrant communities gain skills and knowledge to build stability and success in their lives. Their locally-sourced, globally-inspired meals are prepared from scratch daily by client participants and their menus explore their diverse cultural backgrounds as well as celebrate the abundant produce available right here in the San Diego area.
Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
2021
San Diego College of Continuing Education
2021
SDCCE has begun to roll out a support program for its immigrant and refugee students in light of new COVID19-related hardships. They are hosting twice-weekly virtual forums in English and Spanish to share resources and information. Topics are chosen by the students.
84 Million People Displaced
2021
As of the end of 2021, the United Nations reports 84 million people have been forced to flee their homes, an increase from 2019 and 2020.
2021
Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
Following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover has caused thousands of people to flee. As of 2024, the United Nations estimates half of the Afghan population--over 23.7 million people--will require humanitarian and protection assistance.
2022
Feb 24
Russo-Ukrainian War
The full-scale war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion has left 3.7 million people internally displaced, and another 6.9 million people seeking safety in neighboring countries, as of Feb 2025. The Russo-Ukrainian War has destroyed or damaged 2.5 million homes, leaving 12.7 million people requiring humanitarian assistance.
2025
May 28
City of Lemon Grove: April as Arab American Heritage Month
In recognition of the contributions of Arab communities, the city of Lemon Grove officially proclaims April as Arab American Heritage Month.
United Nations Funding Cuts
$2.4 billion in United Nations funding remained unpaid by member states. The United States is the largest debtor, as the Trump administration withholds $1.5 billion.
2025
May 30
2025
May 30
Humanitarian Parole Terminated for CHNV Newcomers
The Supreme Court approves President Trump's order to terminate humanitarian parole for indivdiuals who arrived through the Process for Cubans, Hatians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) sponsorship program. This allows deportation proceedings to begin and impacts 531,000 CHNV arrivals.
2025
June 2
The MENA Inclusion Act
In a landmark step toward visibility and equity for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities, the California State Assembly unanimously votes 79–0 to pass AB-91 which will establish a MENA demographic data standard across state surveys, censuses, and government programs.
Travel Ban Suspends Entry to United States
2025
June 4
President Trump imposes a full travel ban on 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, and partial travel ban (visa cancellation) on 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. This significantly limits nationals of those countries from entering the United States beginning June 9th, 2025.
2025
June 5
ICE Arrests Surpass 100,000
In President Trump's second term, federal authorities increased efforts to detain undocumented immigrants, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests topping 100,000. Over 2,000 arrests a day were made at times. Over 54,000 immigrants are being held in detention centers across the country.
Temporary Protected Status Terminated
The Department of Homeland Security Terminates Tempotary Protected Status for individuals from Nepal and Cameroon.
2025
June 5
2025
June 8
Los Angeles Immigration Protests
On the third day of demonstrations, President Trump ordered the National Guard to fire crowd-control munitions and tear gas to disperse protesters.
Israel-Iran Conflict
Ongoing Israel-Iran conflict begins with 200 Israel Air Force aircraft dropping 330 munitions on six Iranian cities, killing 78 and injuring hundreds on the first day.
2025
June 13
2025
June 18
25th Annual World Refugee Day Celebration
The Alliance for African Assistance hosts the annual celebration at the La Jolla Presbyterian Church to celebrate and honor the refugee community through speakers and cultural performances, and a fundraiser to support refugee services including housing, education, and employment.
2023
June 3
Migrants Flown to California on Chartered Jet
16 Venezuelan and Columbian migrants who entered from Texas were flown on a chartered jet to California and left in front of the state capital. Republican governors in Texas and Florida have been busing and flying migrants to Democratic states.
Title 42 Ended
President Biden ends Title 42, which expelled asylum seekers during the pandemic. This allows individuals to continue to apply for asylum in the US.
2023
May 11
Trump Signs "The One Big Beautiful Bill" into Law
2025
July 4
The bill brings drastic changes across all sectors, particularly regarding immigration. The bill allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to dramatically expand efforts to crack down on immigration, providing the largest amount of funds Congress has ever given to the federal government for immigration enforcement. This includes $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security, and another $75 billion for ICE, making it the highest funded government agency.
2025
July 11
Federal Judge Rules Immigration Raids Violate Constitutional Protections.
In response to a 36-day immigration crackdown in Southern California, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that federal immigration agents do not have the authority to conduct detention stops unless there is "reasonable suspicion" the person is "in violation of U.S. immigration law."
Immigration Detention Camp at Fort Bliss Opens
2025
The Trump administration opened an immigration detention camp at Fort Bliss, with plans to hold 5,000 people at once, slated to be the largest immigration detention center in the country.
2025
First Vietnamese American Bishop appointed
Bishop Michael Pham was selected by Pope Leo XIV to lead the San Diego Diocese, becoming the first Vietnamese American to lead a US Diocese. Around 30% of Vietnamese Americans are Catholic. Pham is a Vietnamese refugee who fled Vietnam in 1980.
Ukrainian Refugee Killed on North Carolina Transit System Train
2025
Aug 22
Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed and killed on a LYNX Blue Line train in North Carolina. Video footage circulated widely on social media and gained national attention.
2025
Aug 29
AB 91: MENA Inclusion Act Passes California Senate Appropriations Committee
The bill passed unanimously and requires state and local agencies to use distinct categories for major Middle Eastern and North African groups when collecting demographic data, effective January 1, 2028. This is a historic win for the diverse MENA community in California and marks a major step towards establishing equity and supporting economic and health resource distribution. The bill was sponsored by the CA MENA Civil Rights Coalition.
SCR 96 Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Southeast Asian Refugee Resettlement
2025
Oct 29
The California State Assembly passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 96 (SCR 96) which honors 50 years since the mass resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees, highlighting the resilience, contributions, and leadership of the Southeast Asian community.
CA Bill AB 715 Establishes New Office of Civil Rights and Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator
2025
Oct 7
Gov. Gavin Newson signed AB 715 into law, which creates the nation’s first statewide antisemitism prevention coordinator. However, the bill relies on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, effectively conflating critiques of Israel with actionable discrimination and harassment.
2025
Oct 29
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Seize el-Fasher
After a 18-month siege marked by starvation and bombardment, RSF took control over el-Fasher, killing over 2,000 civilians within 48 hours. The militia continues to employ house-to-house raids, systematic mass killings, and widespread sexual violence against women and girls.
2025
Oct 30
Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions
The White House announced a cap on refugee admissions at 7500 for the 2026 fiscal year, marking a historic low since the program began in 1980.
SNAP Benefits Expire Amid Government Shutdown
2025
Nov 1
The pause is estimated to impact around 42 million Americans, including refugees. Following rulings from two federal judges, the Trump administration committed to partially funding the program with a $4.65 billion payment but warned that distributing the benefits could take weeks or months.
2025
Nov 29
Trump Halts all Asylum Decisions
The Trump administration paused issuing visas to individuals traveling on Afghan passports and halted all asylum decisions following a shooting that left one national guard dead and another critically injured. The shooter worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war and was granted asylum in 2025.