READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE U.S. FY2026 REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CAP AND PRIORITIZATION
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS

Washington, D.C.

America’s commitment to welcoming refugees is strong in the nation’s capital where there is a long tradition of supporting newcomers in their resettlement. Known by locals as the DMV, the greater D.C. metro area spans from the District of Columbia into central Maryland and Northern Virginia where governmental agencies, nonprofits, and citizens form a flourishing network of support. The Community Programs team in D.C. is actively engaged with local nonprofit organizations, serving in the community, and developing opportunities for collecting and sharing refugee stories.

Demographics
ARRIVALS

FY 2018-2019 data source: Refugee Processing Center, includes refugee and SIV status only
FY 2020-2024 data source: Virginia Department of Social Services, includes Cuban, Haitian, Afghan parolee, Ukrainian parolee, refguee, SIV, and trafficking victim; Maryland Office of Refugees & Asylees, includes refugees, SIV, humanitarian parole, asylum, *Maryland 2024 data reflects as of 9/15/24 and excludes humanitarian parolees, asylees, victims of trafficking

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
TOP NEWCOMER LANGUAGES
  • Dari
  • Pashto
  • French
  • Ukrainian
  • Swahili
  • Kinyarwanda
  • Spanish
  • Arabic

FY 2024 data source: Languages based on the official and/or most common language of arrivals’ country of origin.

Refugee Physicians Advocacy Coalition

Learn more about our work to remove barriers to medical career pathways for international physicians through a coalition founded in the Washington, D.C. metro.

Blog Posts
Learn more about our work and our team.
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Partners
Volunteer alongside our team with these local organizations.
Leadership
Get to know our Washington, D.C. leadership team.
B Kilmer headshot wide
Community Programs Coordinator - Washington D.C.; Co-founder, Refugee Physicians Advocacy Coalition
Emily Hendrickson TSOS 2 Emily Hendrickson
Community Liaison - Washington DC
Annie
Community Liaison, Washington, D.C.
Heather
Associate Director
Carla
Photographer, Washington, D.C.
Contact Us
Reach out to our local team with any questions. We love to connect with people interested in welcoming newcomers to our community.
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.