Share
State Department Orders Refugee Agencies to Downsize
Trump and Republicans have taken direct action to deport as many undocuments U.S. residents as possible, prevent Muslims from entering the country, and ran an entire campaign based on building a wall on our border. Add this to the list of despicable actions -- lowering the amount of refugees admitted to the United States, harming those already here, and preventing families from reunification. America Last.
The U.S. State Department has told refugee agencies it will sharply pare back the number of offices across the country authorized to resettle people in 2018.... The announcement was made at a Dec. 1 meeting in Washington with State Department officials and representatives from nine major refugee agencies....
This December 1, 2017 meeting just came to light on December 21st. What does it mean?
.... the decision is likely to lead to the closure of dozens of resettlement offices around the country, potentially leaving some refugees without access to services that help them integrate into American life.
.... offices expected to handle fewer than 100 refugees in fiscal year 2018 will no longer be authorized to resettle new arrivals, which means many of them will have to close. There are about 300 resettlement offices spread across 49 states, and advocates estimate several dozen are at risk. Several state refugee coordinators said they had also been made aware of the closures.
This is evil and self-defeating as it harms refugees and our nation.
The Trump administration has said it wants refugees to assimilate quickly, both to promote national security and so that they can become self-sufficient. The closure of local offices will undermine that goal. The offices play a crucial role in helping newcomers .... If refugees lose access to “services to help them navigate the processes of registering for school, and English classes and finding a job, that will mean that it will take longer for them to navigate life in the United States and contribute to our economy,” said Robert Carey, who directed the Office of Refugee Resettlement under former President Barack Obama.