Refugee Work: What Does a Pause Mean?
During inauguration week, the URC and all the organizations around the US that resettle refugees learned that a pause in arrivals was to take place in about a week; staff invited all the families that have arrived since the beginning of our resettlement work over the years to meet up, learn their rights, and share some food.
We got the chance to swap stories in my slightly improved Spanish with families whose English has dramatically improved, hear about how work is going, how the kids are doing in school, and how well their lives are going. Similar stories of success from Afghans who joined our community in late 2021 and more recently, gratitude from Syrian arrivals more recently, and hope for the most recently arrived were passed around.
By the time the first group session was over, we learned that the planned pause had already started and arrivals were at a dead stop. Tickets were canceled, folks sent back to their asylum locations. I had come away from the gathering in a mixed state: happy at the successful integration that so many have experienced, and frustration that six families that had been ticketed to arrive in February will not get that chance, along with about 50 more individuals in process of resettling to the US.
Mostly, I'm struck with how unnecessary it is to have stopped these great opportunities for New Americans in their tracks. It is also dangerous and frightening; some of the folks who were to have arrived are loved ones of folks more recently settled. Their heartache and that of people we've not had the chance to meet are now shared with our volunteers and staff.
I am hopeful that this pause is truly short, but not optimistic. As URC learns more about advocacy opportunities with our elected officials, we will pass these along. Thanks for reading, thanks for caring and thanks for your support! If you can help out with funds, that's the best way right now. See our donation link at the bottom of the page.
John Pinter, Executive Director
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