FRANKFORT, Ky. -- As President Trump attempts to revamp his controversial immigration ban, advocates for refugees and immigrants in Kentucky are bringing a message to state leaders: Keep the welcome mat out.

Kentucky resettles more than twice the national annual average of refugees. Maria Koerner, assistant director at the Kentucky Office for Refugees, said that refugees who have resettled in the Bluegrass State are being introduced to their senators and representatives at the state capitol.

"I think a lot of times you can dispel misconceptions by just meeting someone face to face that's different than you,” Koerner said, "especially in the climate we're in right now and all the rhetoric and the narratives that play out in the news."

The fourth annual Refugee and Immigrant Day is a way to educate lawmakers about the state's resettlement programs and to brief them on the security screening and vetting that takes place, Koerner said. In the past year, resettlement agencies in Kentucky have served nearly 4,700 newcomers.

Two of the top five countries of origin for refugees in the state - Somalia and Syria - were included in Trump's travel ban.

Research has shown that refugee communities tend to do well once they are resettled. And according to Anna Baumann, an analyst with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, on average, refugees in Kentucky are meeting the goal of achieving employment within 120 days.

"They send their kids to school. They get jobs. They pay taxes,” Baumann said. "They get involved in a faith community. They volunteer. They are our neighbors."

She cited a report from The Center for American Progress showing that 11 percent of Syrian immigrants own businesses - that is compared to 3 percent of native-born residents.

But as America wrestles with questions of immigration, Koerner said those at the center of the issue are wondering if they are welcome here, and if they could be deported.

"People are worried about if they'll be reunited with their family members, because a big part of the refugee resettlement program is family reunification,” Koerner said. "Because of the situations they're escaping - wars and persecution - families are often separated."

Advocates will deliver an online petition asking the elected leaders to "keep Kentucky welcoming” when they meet with members of the state House and Senate. The petition has thousands of signatures.


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CHICAGO -- Advocates for immigrants and refugees in Illinois traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to push for a pathway to citizenship for up to eight million undocumented immigrants.

They asserted they will not stop fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, despite the Senate parliamentarian's decision, which stated current rules do not allow the proposal to be included in the budget reconciliation package in Congress.

Omar Awadh, community organizer for Arab American Family Services in Chicago, who is a Temporary Protected Status holder, said there is no time to waste.

"The different communities, undocumented communities have been living in fear, with the harassment from ICE," Awadh observed. "They fear that their families will be broken, they will be separated from their families, they are going to be separated from their livelihoods."

In recent polling, 65% of Americans think undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship. More than 80% said they support citizenship for recipients of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The citizenship proposal in the budget reconciliation package applied to those Dreamers, farmworkers, essential workers and people with Temporary Protected Status.

Awadh hopes to see all undocumented residents have the opportunity to become citizens, especially since members of Congress and the President committed to immigration reform in their election campaigns.

"We will not accept the fact that using us as pawns for the campaigns, talking about citizenship, and then forget about us," Awadh asserted. "They must hold themselves accountable."

The push for immigration reform comes as resettlement agencies in Illinois are working to support Afghan refugees beginning to arrive to the state. Chicago alone is expected to become home to more than 500 people fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

FARGO, N.D. -- In the near future, North Dakota is poised to help resettle 49 Afghan evacuees who fled their home country after the U.S. military exit, and those assisting in the effort, along with human rights advocates, call on local leaders and residents to fully welcome the new immigrants.

A recent announcement came after North Dakota's resettlement office request for that number was approved by the U.S. State Department.

Dan Hannaher, field director of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the response has been positive so far, especially from the business community willing to hire new arrivals.

"I heard from an employer saying, 'If you're receiving 49 Afghans, if 40 of them are employable, I'll take them all,'" Hannaher reported.

Most refugees are likely to be resettled in Fargo, and Hannaher said the area has enough affordable housing. Advocates asked the public to do its part to quell any hateful rhetoric that may arise, while offering a welcoming tone.

State officials say the individuals in the program go through a rigorous vetting process, and will be vaccinated against COVID.

Darci Asche, a board member of the New American Consortium for Wellness and Empowerment, which also will assist with resettlement, said the combination of compassion and services can help refugees establish roots and be contributors to the area.

She added in this situation, the trauma they experienced will be fresh in their minds as they were sent to the U.S. more quickly than usual to be vetted.

"Just being conscientious of that," Asche advised. "The services that we provided are culturally appropriate, that there's language ability, so that communication is done well."

Barry Nelson, community organizer for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, urged local leaders and community members to educate each other about the refugees and their needs.

He feels there is already misinformation floating around, and he noted Fargo's new hate-crime ordinance should be utilized if needed.

"Make sure that everything that needs to be done to eradicate it," Nelson stated. "To perhaps prosecute if needed, if it rises to that level would happen."

State officials pointed out the resettlement program is federally funded, and the effort does not impact social services currently available to North Dakotans in need.

MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin military base remains the temporary home of nearly 8,000 Afghan refugees, and it isn't the first time the state has seen an influx of evacuees trying to carve out a new life.

Prominent Hmong leaders have said their people have made significant contributions after arriving in Wisconsin under similar circumstances. In the decades after the Vietnam War, Wisconsin's Hmong population rose to become the third-highest in the nation. The leaders have noted that, when given the opportunity, they found ways to assimilate and make contributions.

Pao Lor, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay who chairs its Professional Program in Education, said it became pretty clear over time.

"Particularly in the 90s, Hmong American families started buying homes, and getting better jobs," he said, "and basically, the life in northeast Wisconsin almost transformed, you could say, overnight."

While there were challenges along the way, those who stepped into larger roles served as culture brokers, giving Hmong communities a bigger voice. Today, there are calls for giving Afghan refugees the chance to set a similar path, with support and aid. Some GOP members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation have raised safety concerns, but advocates have said these refugees have been vetted, and many worked for the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan.

Mai Zong Vue, an administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, said Hmong families have set down roots in many cities, including Milwaukee, Wausau and Eau Claire. She added that contributions will continue to come from future generations who were born here.

"Our future American taxpayers can only be as productive as what we seek for them in knowledge, in experience, in opportunities," she said.

Vue, who also is board president of Wisconsin's Hmong Institute, said preserving cultural heritage is a key part of shaping these descendents' futures, which can help give them a sense of identity. Both Vue and Lor expressed their thoughts at a recent panel discussion led by the Wisconsin Historical Society.