Brandy Baxter is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and the Director of Attitude and Attire's Boots to Heels program. She's also a passionate advocate for racial and gender equality, and thinks that "veterans need to get on board with a new mission: Uniting the United States of America!" Read more of Brandy's story. 

On Monday a federal court dealt a major blow to Indiana’s anti-Syrian refugee policy. The state, which receives federal dollars to resettle some 1500 refugees annually, was directed by governor Mike Pence to halt all Syrian refugee resettlement in 2015. Pence, and many other state leaders, perceive Syrians as a security threat.

Fresh of the heels of the president’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees last week, Washington lawmakers met Wednesday to evaluate the country’s 2017 refugee resettlement plan.

Alex Vazquez is a U.S. Air Force Veteran, a law student, and the son of Nicaraguan refugees. As a veteran, he believes its important to speak up for refugees, aslyum speakers, and immigrants. "Everything I’ve aimed to do after my service in the military has been, in some way or another, motivated by how I believe I can best contribute to the betterment of our society, as opposed to personal gain, and how to strengthen our capacity for public service."

Early this week world leaders convened in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. A key focus: the world refugee crisis. On Monday the assembly adopted the “New York Declaration” in a historic show of international support for refugees.

By Joe Jenkins

After 20 years of service in the United States Marines, Gunnery Sergeant Emir Hadzic quietly took off his uniform, packed his bags, and prepared to live life as a civilian. But before he retired to his hometown of St. Louis, Gunnery Sergeant Hadzic one more duty to attend to.

By Joe Jenkins

In North Texas, September 11th is not only a day of remembrance—it’s a time to rekindle the feeling of unity that swept the nation after that fateful day. For the past 15 years, Entrepreneurs for North Texas has hosted Freedom Day, which brings together local businesses, community leaders, and veterans as they perform a day of service and remind the nation that the best way forward is together.

Ahead of next week’s U.N. General Assembly and Refugee Leaders’ Summit, the White House celebrated National Welcoming Week, honoring the voices of refugees and highlighting efforts to build welcoming communities for the newest Americans.

At the U.N. General Assembly in New York taking place later this month, several heads of state and representatives of civil society will come together to commit to a comprehensive refugee strategy, representing a shift toward multilateral, systematic, and sustainable solutions. Some say the U.N. plan, now being called the New York Declaration, represents a significant milestone in the global response to the refugee crisis.

On Monday the White House announced that it has met its goal of resettling ten thousand Syrian refugees in the 2016 fiscal year. The milestone comes as President Obama gears up to host a Leader’s Summit on Refugees, a day after the United Nations Summit for Refugees in September.