What is the main problem the project is seeking to address? Over 200,000 people in the United States are stateless or at risk of statelessness, living without nationality, identity documents, or legal recognition. Because U.S. immigration law contains no definition or protection framework for stateless persons, they face prolonged detention, family separation, and exclusion from employment, travel, health care, and civic participation. Their invisibility also means there is little data to inform policy or allocate resources. Stateless individuals often experience trauma and isolation as a result of years spent in limbo. The absence of psychosocial support compounds the mental-health impacts of detention and uncertainty. This gap is especially acute among women, LGBTQ+ persons, and survivors of persecution who are disproportionately affected. Addressing statelessness in the United States is essential to upholding human dignity and the universal right to nationality. As a global leader in human rights, the United States can set an example by protecting stateless people, preventing new cases of statelessness through safeguarding birthright citizenship, and meaningfully integrating stateless persons into national and community life through social support and inclusive participation in policy and administrative efforts.

What is the main change the project seeks to achieve? Empowering Stateless Voices will strengthen the capacity, visibility, and resilience of stateless leaders and communities in the United States. Led by United Stateless (USL) in partnership with the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the project advances a model designed, led, and informed by a community of stateless individuals brought together by USL combines trauma-informed legal empowerment with mental-health support and systemic advocacy. Key strategies include: Leadership and Advocacy Training: Equip stateless individuals with advocacy and storytelling skills to lead local and national reform efforts. Resilience and Mental Health Support: Provide group and individual psychosocial support sessions and well-being tools for stateless leaders and families. Legal Empowerment and Services: Expand access to the U.S. Stateless Legal Clinic, enabling case screening, legal representation, and connection to basic services. Awareness and Policy Change: Drive engagement with policymakers toward a legal definition and protection framework, including support for the Stateless Protection Act. By centering lived experience and pairing legal and psychosocial interventions tailored to the needs of the stateless community in the U.S., the project will create a replicable model for holistic protection. Expected results include improved well-being among stateless leaders, increased legal visibility, and tangible progress toward permanent solutions for stateless persons in the U.S.

Who are the key partners? United Stateless (USL) – Lead organization; stateless-led civil-society group and member of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness. USL coordinates advocacy, leadership development, and community mobilization. Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) – Global Alliance member providing psychosocial support, resilience training, and technical guidance to stateless leaders and staff. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Global Alliance member offering technical expertise, visibility, and policy coordination within its global mandate to prevent and reduce statelessness. Additional collaborators include the U.S. Stateless Pro Bono Task Force (law-firm partners), academic allies, and civil-society networks supporting advocacy for the Stateless Protection Act. 5 Together, the consortium advances a coordinated model linking direct services, mental-health support, and systemic advocacy led by those most affected.

Who is the target population for this project? PrimaryStateless individuals and families residing in the United States.

Funding and costs What is the total cost of this project?241,562.17 USD