Our own events come first — because this is where the work begins.

Saturday, July 18  ·  3–6 p.m.  ·  224 Lobdell Avenue, Baton Rouge 70806  ·  Free

LORI’s Women’s Win program opens its Economic Empowerment Workshop this Saturday, and the premise is plain: when women thrive, families flourish and communities grow. Across three hours, participants work through the practical machinery of financial independence — building credit and a path to homeownership, taking real control of a budget, and turning a business idea into a funded reality. Admission is free, with a door-prize raffle for early arrivals.

JULY 23 · BATON ROUGE

Our Summer Scholars Take a Bow

Before the backpacks come back out, we pause to celebrate. LORI’s Summer Enrichment Camp closes with a graduation party for the young people who spent the season learning, growing, and building friendships — and the whole community is invited to cheer them on.

SAVE THE DATE · AUGUST 1

The Community Resource Fair Returns — and We Need You There

New location this year. The fair has moved to 7500 Independence Boulevard — this is not the LORI office. Please help us spread the word so no one arrives at the wrong place.

Sign up to table at the Event             –          Sign up to Volunteer 

EVERY MONTH · BATON ROUGE

A Food Pantry, Open Every Month

Second Friday monthly  ·  Fresh produce  ·  Free

As federal food assistance narrows, a reliable source of groceries matters more than ever. LORI’s food pantry opens the second Friday of every month, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., with fresh produce while supplies last — the next distribution is Friday, August 14. For details, call 225-279-9610 or email info@mylori.org.

CULTURE · SAVE THE DATE

Dominican NOLA Fest Returns

A celebration of Dominican music, dance, and community comes to the New Orleans Jazz Museum this fall — a reminder that our immigrant cultures are not a footnote to Louisiana life but part of its heartbeat.

LORI ANNUAL BANQUET

Mark the evening now. Once a year we gather to celebrate the community we are building together and the people who make it possible. Details will follow

Your Next Election Is November 3

Democracy runs on deadlines. Louisiana’s Congressional General and Open Primary is set for November 3, with early voting October 20–27 (except Sundays). To take part, register by October 5 in person or by mail, or by October 13 online through GeauxVote.

Citizenship is the doorway to the ballot — which is exactly why the fights over naturalization and its cost matter so much. Check your registration and find your polling place at GeauxVote.com

TAKE ACTION · THIS AUGUST

Two national openings are live now. National Refugee Advocacy Days bring immigrant and refugee leaders into virtual meetings with congressional offices during the August recess, August 17–21 — registration is closing, so confirm the deadline and reserve a place at weareallus.org.

For those who want to go deeper, the National Partnership for New Americans offers a 40-hour online immigration law training from August 17 to September 29, free for member organizations.

And Welcoming Week this fall is a nationwide moment to open doors in your own neighborhood.

Immigration Updates · State & Federal

What changed this week, what it means for your family, and where to read more.

NATURALIZATION · PROPOSED RULE

The Price of Citizenship Could Nearly Double

Comment period open through August 24, 2026  ·  Not yet in effect

On June 23, the Department of Homeland Security proposed raising the N-400 naturalization application fee from $760 to $1,330 on paper and $710 to $1,280 online — roughly 75 to 80 percent — and eliminating both the $380 reduced fee for low-income applicants and fee waivers, leaving only the exemption for military service members. The rule is not final, and current fees still apply. The public can comment through August 24, 2026 at regulations.gov under docket USCIS-2026-0265; the full text sits in the Federal Register. This is the window where public voice still shapes the outcome.

BENEFITS · NOW AND OCTOBER 1

Health Care and Food Aid Are Narrowing

Under the 2025 federal budget law, most refugees and asylees have already lost SNAP food assistance, and beginning October 1, 2026, federal Medicaid and CHIP funding ends for many humanitarian immigrants. If your family relies on these programs, do not wait to learn where you stand — the National Immigration Law Center keeps a plain-language guide to who remains eligible at nilc.org. And our own monthly food pantry is here for families who need groceries now.

GREEN CARDS · EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 18

A Stricter “Public Charge” Test Returns

A new federal rule taking effect September 18 rescinds the 2022 standard and gives officers broad, case-by-case discretion to weigh an applicant’s past use of benefits — including housing and food aid — when deciding green-card eligibility, as NOTUS reported. The rules are complex and less predictable than before, so anyone with a pending or planned green-card application should seek legal advice before making benefit decisions for their household.

TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS

Work Permits on the Brink — Verify Before You Rely

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing terminations, USCIS has been extending TPS work permits in short, shifting increments while litigation continues. As of this week, employment authorization runs through July 24 for Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and Haiti; July 27 for Burma (Myanmar); and July 30 for Ethiopia and South Sudan — dates that have already moved more than once and affect several hundred thousand people. Anyone relying on TPS should confirm their current status and work authorization and speak with a trusted legal provider without delay. ASAP keeps a current guide at asaptogether.org, the National Immigration Forum tracks the shifting dates at forumtogether.org, and you can read LORI’s statement on the decision.

ENFORCEMENT

After Two Deadly Shootings, a Pause — Then a Reversal

Following the fatal shootings of two men — neither the intended target — during vehicle stops in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, ICE announced on July 14 that it would pause most non-urgent traffic stops, a shift first reported by NPR. Within two days the administration signaled the tactic was “not off the table,” CBS News reported, leaving the policy uncertain. Advocates have renewed calls for body cameras and transparency. For families, the takeaway is steady: know your rights, and prepare before a moment of pressure arrives.

IN THE COURTS

Wins Worth Holding Onto

Not all the news bends one way. On July 15, a federal judge in Rhode Island refused to pause his earlier ruling striking down four USCIS policies that had frozen asylum, green-card, work-permit, and citizenship cases for nationals of 39 countries — keeping relief in place for tens of thousands while the case, Dorcas International Institute v. USCIS, moves through appeal (Rhode Island Current). And at the end of June, the Supreme Court affirmed that every child born on American soil is a citizen under the Fourteenth Amendment — read LORI’s statement on that decision.

STUDENTS & WORKERS

New Limits on Students, Credit, and Skilled Visas

Three changes land on people who study and work here. A finalized rule caps most international students’ stay at four years, ending the long-standing “duration of status” framework (Inside Higher Ed). New federal banking guidance urges lenders to treat borrowers without work authorization as an “elevated credit risk,” which advocates warn could push many immigrants out of mortgages, auto loans, and mainstream credit (CNBC). And the administration opened its first major fraud probe into the H-1B skilled-worker program (The Hill), alongside a new $100,000 application fee.

IN CONGRESS · BILLS INTRODUCED

Ten Bills to Watch

These bills were introduced in Congress this week and referred to committee. Introduction is only the first step — none has passed, and most will never become law — but together they map where the immigration debate is heading. Here is what each would do, with a link to the official text:

5023, Ban Birth Tourism Act (Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-TN) — would bar entry to people whose main purpose in coming to the U.S. is to obtain citizenship for a child born here.

4983, Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act (Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-OH) — would end birthright citizenship, cap refugee admissions, and rewrite the asylum and deportation systems.

4973, American Citizenship Act (Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-MO) — would narrow the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause to restrict who is a citizen at birth.

4954, The Citizenship Act of 2026 (Sen. Jim Banks, R-IN) — would classify people who enter without authorization as “invaders” and deny birthright citizenship to their children.

R. 9745, Orlin’s Law (Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA) — would require protections for any child whose parent is detained by immigration authorities.

R. 9742, English Language Proficiency Act (Rep. Brandon Gill, R-TX) — would toughen the English-language and civics requirements to become a naturalized citizen.

R. 9710, Third World Immigration Moratorium Act (Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC) — would bar entry to nationals of dozens of named countries.

R. 9662, Birthright CLAIM Act of 2026 (Rep. Greg Steube, R-FL) — would impose new limits on birthright citizenship.

R. 9659, Fund Schools, Not ICE Act (Rep. Greg Stanton, D-AZ) — would redirect certain unspent ICE funds to public-school Title I programs.

R. 9656, Undocumented Patient Reporting Act (Rep. Chip Roy, R-TX) — would require hospitals in federal health programs to report certain patients’ immigration information.

Around the World

The forces reaching our families rarely stop at the border.

VENEZUELA · HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Venezuelans Face Removal to a Disaster Zone

After catastrophic earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis, more than half a million Venezuelans in the United States now face the prospect of removal to that devastation, their Temporary Protected Status ended by the Supreme Court while litigation continues. Advocates are urging the government to defer deportations rather than return families to a country in ruins. Read more via WBUR/AP.

REFUGEES · RESETTLEMENT

An Indefinite Refugee Ban, and a Funding Freeze

Beyond any single country, the United States has kept in place an indefinite ban on refugee admissions and a freeze on resettlement funding — stranding families already vetted and approved, and straining the agencies built to welcome them. Church World Service tracks the day-to-day state of play at cwsglobal.org.

Weathering the Heat

A Louisiana summer is a safety issue — here is how to get through it.

COMMUNITY HEALTH · EXTREME HEAT

Know the Signs, Stay Cool, Stay Alive

Extreme heat — several days above 90 degrees, made worse by humidity — can kill, and it strikes hardest at older adults, young children, and anyone managing a chronic illness. The warning signs move in stages. Heat cramps bring heavy sweating and muscle spasms; rest in a cool place and drink water. Heat exhaustion turns the skin cold, pale, and clammy, with nausea, dizziness, and a weak pulse; move to shade, loosen clothing, sip water, and get help if vomiting or confusion sets in. Heat stroke — a body temperature of 104 degrees or higher, hot dry skin, confusion, fainting — is a medical emergency: call 911 immediately, then cool the body with wet cloths or a cool bath while you wait.

Staying safe is mostly staying ahead of it. Drink water steadily and skip sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks. Do not count on a fan alone once temperatures reach the high 90s — a few hours in air conditioning, or in a public library, mall, or cooling center, does far more. Keep at least a gallon of water per person per day, plus sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat. And near any water, remember that drowning is a leading cause of death for children under five — an adult should be watching, always. More guidance is at ready.gov/heat.

CLIMATE JUSTICE · WORKERS’ RIGHTS

Heat Is a Workplace Right, Not a Favor

For the many in our community who work in the sun or inside hot warehouses, kitchens, and processing plants, heat safety is a matter of law, not goodwill. Employers are legally required to protect workers from known hazards like extreme heat — clean drinking water at all times, regular paid rest breaks, shade or a cool indoor space, training people can understand, and a clear emergency plan. If your workplace cuts corners, you have the right to speak up through a union, a worker center, or a lawyer. Learn more about heat justice at nationalcosh.org/fired-up.

Know Your Rights

Whatever your status, you hold rights that do not disappear under pressure: the right to remain silent, the right to speak with a lawyer, and the right to decline to open your door without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Make a family plan now — memorize a phone number, decide who cares for the children, keep documents somewhere safe — so that a stressful moment is not the first time you think it through. If you hold refugee status, IRAP’s plain-language guide to your rights is a strong place to start, and LORI’s team is here to help.