In this episode, we celebrate 150 episodes of Seeking Refuge with Aidan Thomason, one of the podcast’s founding members and now a Civic Space Fellow at Amnesty International USA. Aidan reflects on the podcast’s origins, the responsibility of sharing displaced people’s stories, and how those conversations shaped her career in human rights. We also discuss her work defending freedom of expression and protest rights, the impact of U.S. immigration policies, and ways listeners can get involved in advocacy. See the links below for resources to support Amnesty International (AIUSA) and protect human rights around the world.

AIUSA's abolish ICE campaign page: https://www.amnestyusa.org/campaigns/abolish-ice/

Abolish ICE community toolkit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Abolish-ICE-Community-Toolkit.pdf

Amnesty International Authoritarian Practices landing page: https://www.amnestyusa.org/stop-us-authoritarian-practices/

Amnesty International action guide for defending the right to vote this year: https://www.amnestyusa.org/toolkits/action-guide-defend-your-right-to-vote-in-the-2026-elections/

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Connect with us if you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms:

https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

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Our team: Maggie Austin, Val Landa, Zain Al Safadi, Valentina Scarpitta, Trista Walter, and Charlie Winston

Welcome to a new season of Seeking Refuge! In this trailer, Charlie, Val, Maggie, and Trista introduce our theme, Legacies of Refuge, where we explore the past and present of migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers, as well as the policies and actions impacting them. Tune in as we explore the history, policy, and human stories behind the Legacies of Refuge.

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Connect with us if you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms:

https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Our team: Charlie Winston, Val Landa, Maggie Austin, Trista Walters, and Valentina Scarpitta

In this episode, Alex and Trista talk with Dr. Austin Kocher, a political and legal geographer with two decades of experience, about common misconceptions, what the average American isn’t knowledgeable about, and where he thinks the future of enforcement is headed. He critically analyzes publicly available government data and produces work that is easy for the average person to understand. It is an honor to have him on the podcast!

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Connect With Us If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms: https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Our Team: Alexander Tufino & Trista Walter (Hosts), Charlie Winston & Trista Walter (Editors), Alexander Tufino (Producer), Tina Sandoval, Maggie Austin, Tammy Nguyen, Miranda Borland, Kanyisile Barrett, and Josh Evans

In this news brief, Kanyisile details the extreme impacts of flooding in Hawaii over the last month. She discusses the human effects, the environmental impacts, and concerns by city officials about valuing Wahiawā dam over the consequences on the surrounding community. This is a developing story and we encourage you to stay informed about incoming news surrounding the issue.

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Connect With Us If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms: https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Our Team: Kanyisile Barrett (Host), Trista Walter (Researcher), Charlie Winston (Script Writer), Tina Sandoval (Editor), Miranda Borland (Producer), Alexander Tufino, Maggie Austin, Tammy Nguyen, and Josh Evans.

In this episode, Tina and Alex talk with Mike Young, executive director of Good Samaritan Clinic, a nonprofit providing free healthcare to individuals without insurance in Columbia, SC. They discuss the organization's history, mission, community outreach, and connections to migrant communities in Columbia.

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Connect With Us If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at **seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com** or connect with us on any of these social media platforms: https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Our team: Tina Sandoval (Host), Alexander Tufino (Host), Kanyisile Barrett (Editor), Miranda Borland, Maggie Austin, Tammy Nguyen, Charlie Winston, Trista Walter, and Josh Evans

In today’s news brief, Alex details the recently announced lease for a new ICE office in the heart of downtown Columbia, SC. He outlines reactions from city officials and community residents alike, as the office was planned without city approval. This story is developing, so continue to stay informed as it continues to evolve.

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Connect With Us If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms: https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Our Team: Alexander Tufino (Host), Tina Sandoval (Researcher), Tina Sandoval (Script Writer), Charlie Winston (Editor), Miranda Borland (Producer), Maggie Austin, Kanyisile Barrett, Tammy Nguyen, Trista Walter, and Josh Evans.

In this episode, Tina talks with ECAR and GARC, student organizations from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, about their recent student activism. They share their stories, their missions, and their why. In times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to stand by our immigrant and refugee communities so they know they are not alone in this fight.

Liked this episode? Let us know! Subscribe and leave us a review below!

Connect With Us If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms: https://www.instagram.com/refugepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast

Tina Sandoval (Host), Tina Sandoval (Editor), Alexander Tufino (Producer), Charlie Winston, Kanyisile Barrett, Miranda Borland, Maggie Austin, Tammy Nguyen, and Josh Evans.