The International Rescue Committee operates in more than 40 countries, providing humanitarian assistance to people fleeing persecution, torture and war.
The non-profit’s Tucson branch helps refugees and asylum seekers access services ranging from employment opportunities to English language classes. On Thursday, the Tucson IRC is marking its 30th anniversary with a celebration and fundraiser at Z-Street.
AZPM sat down with Tucson office director Meheria Habibi, who reflected on her own past and discussed some of the challenges the IRC faces today.
‘The refugee journey is never easy’
For Habibi, working with the IRC was a full-circle journey.
When she was a child in the 1990s, she fled Afghanistan with her mother and sister as Taliban rule gripped the country. Women and girls were prohibited from attending school, and could not travel freely without a male relative.
“Our lives were at risk as women without male (companions),” Habibi said.
Her family said goodbye to their relatives and friends, packed a bag of clothes and moved to Pakistan. Habibi’s mother secured a job as a housekeeper, and the girls were able to attend school.
Still, Habibi struggled with the transition. She cried in her new classroom, longing for her friends back home in Afghanistan.
“(The) refugee journey is never easy. It's traumatic,” she said. “There's a lot of loss. As a child, you have to navigate all of that. And for me, it was leaving family and friends behind, leaving my home, my identity.”
Finding a permanent solution
Gradually, Habibi became more accustomed to her new life in Islamabad. She shared a small bedroom with her sister, plastering the door with pictures of her favorite Bollywood stars. They decorated the floor with cushions and listened to music on cassette. She made friends.
But it became clear to Habibi’s family that Pakistan was only a temporary solution.
“We didn't have permanent residency in Pakistan, so we had to find an alternative option,” she said.
Her mother applied to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, a federal initiative that resettles people who are fleeing persecution. The vetting and admissions process can take anywhere from 18 months to three years, if not longer.
After three years, Habibi’s family was approved. They arrived in New York, where an immigration agent disclosed their resettlement destination: Tucson.
It was August when they flew in Arizona, Habibi recalled.
“The minute the airport door opened, we were like, ‘This is too hot!’” she laughed.
But Tucson became home, Habibi said. A quarter-century later, that’s still the case.
“I love the mountains surrounding Tucson, because it reminds me of back home, where I lived in Kabul,” she said. “So going up to Mount Lemmon is a regular thing for my family.”
‘I wanted to give back’
During her time in Pakistan, Habibi enrolled in English courses through the International Rescue Committee. It was the first time she’d heard of the group.
Years later, as a new Tucsonan, she began volunteering with the IRC as an interpreter for other newly arrived refugees.
“I wanted to give back to the community and be part of what that welcome really looked like for my family,” she said.
In Tucson, the IRC assists refugees and asylum seekers with a range of services, including employment opportunities, housing and legal support. But the IRC’s staff and volunteers also help refugees adapt to the smaller, everyday tasks, from grocery shopping to enrolling a child in school.
“Showing them how to ride the bus… how to use the transportation system on their phone. You know, what does the school system really look like here? What does the report card for your kid look like? Walking them through that,” Habibi said.
In the last fiscal year, the IRC says, it served more than 1,680 Tucsonans.
On Thursday’s anniversary celebration, Habibi said, IRC clients will be sharing stories about their own journeys to Tucson.
“Stories like mine,” she said, “about what their journey has been. What they have lost and what they have gained, coming here to the United States.”
A changing landscape for refugees
The refugee landscape has largely changed under the Trump administration.
On the first day of his current term, the president signed an executive order largely suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Later that year, the administration limited the refugee ceiling to 7,500 people for Fiscal Year 2026 — a drastic restriction compared to previous years under the Biden administration, when the cap was set at 125,000 people. For Fiscal Year 2027, the ceiling is at 17,500.
For refugees already living in the United States, other challenges have arisen.
Last summer, Trump signed H.R.1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under the legislation, refugees who’ve been resettled in the United States no longer qualify for certain governmental programs, including SNAP benefits and Medicaid.
In the meantime, Habibi said, the IRC has faced federal funding cuts, and last year, the Tucson office went through a round of layoffs.
To meet client needs, Habibi said, the IRC Tucson office has launched more food distribution projects to help accommodate clients’ heightened need for groceries. It’s also working to diversify its funding sources.
Reflecting on some of those challenges, Habibi noted her appreciation for the city that became her home.
“I love the Tucson community, how welcoming this community has been and how helpful everyone is, and pleasant,” she said. I have seen them show up for my family and I have seen them show up for our clients.”
