America First, Refugees Last: Rebuilding Refugee Protection for What Comes Next
Host: HIAS Inc
“America First, Refugees Last”, confronts a hard reality: as displacement reaches historic highs, the systems built to protect refugees are fraying. Nationalist politics, shrinking political will, and a contracting humanitarian sector are reshaping what protection looks like in the United States and globally.
This session examines the growing gap between need and response and asks difficult questions about what still works, what no longer does, and what may need to be fundamentally rebuilt.
Structured as a participatory conversation, the discussion will invite attendees to challenge assumptions, weigh real trade-offs, and grapple with what a viable model of refugee protection could look like in a more polarized and resource-constrained world.
Representing HIAS, the world’s oldest refugee agency, are Dr. Beth Oppenheim, Chief Executive Officer, and Emily Primack, Vice President of Business Development. Beth brings more than two decades of leadership in refugee protection and international development and is ready to challenge systems that are overdue for a reset. Emily has worn many hats across grassroots nonprofits, UN agencies, and refugee resettlement organizations, and now focuses on mobilizing the partnerships and funding that turn ambitious ideas into reality.
Come ready for uncomfortable truths, bold ideas, and a conversation about what it will actually take to support forcibly displaced communities.
This venue has a capacity of 40.