Living in the U.S. since 2021 without a pathway to permanent residency has kept Afghan war refugees constantly fearful of possible repatriation to a nation run by the brutal Taliban regime, experts said during a National Immigration Forum webinar. The…
Karen refugees demonstrate remarkable resilience, researcher says
Burmese refugee youth resettled in Texas exhibit amazing courage and resilience in negotiating American life and helping older relatives and community members overcome language and cultural barriers in the U.S., ethnographic researcher Diane Mitschke said during an April 28 lecture…
One expression of faith creates refugees; the other resettles them
Religion remains one of the most powerful forces on the planet, sometimes for good and sometimes for evil. Religion can summon us to our highest ideals, treating each and every person with all reverence due their divine origin. Of course,…
Atlanta church welcomes a Ukrainian family and learns about the bond of love
Olena Levchenko and her Christian family barely escaped Russian forces in Ukraine and bounced from nation to nation in Europe before learning a Baptist congregation in Atlanta, was willing to sponsor them as temporary refugees in the United States. Levchenko…
White House approves 18-month extension of TPS for Haitian refugees as conditions worsen
The White House this week approved 18 months of additional Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals already in the U.S. and opened the door for newer arrivals to apply for the legal protection assuming they entered the country before Nov…
An agnostic teaches us about Jesus
Nearly a decade ago, I had a pleasant surprise. I received an email from a friend I had not seen or heard from since the late 1960s. Charles lived two doors down from us, and we spent many hours playing…
Religion, race and politics are key factors in attitudes on welcoming refugees
Research into American attitudes about welcoming Afghan, Ukrainian and other refugees into the nation confirms how closely religion, race and politics have become intwined in the United States. “For instance, Hispanic evangelicals, Black Protestants and white nonevangelical Protestants are all…
Veterans and faith groups urge Congress to secure the safety of Afghan immigrants
Secular and faith-based organizations are pressing Congress to enact the newly introduced Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide permanent legal residency to Afghan refugees a year after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Introduced with bipartisan support earlier this month in…
Displaced by the war in Ukraine, some Nigerian medical students won’t be allowed to practice if they come home
In the last six months of his sojourn abroad as a medical student, Maurice Nwokejiezi has, on at least two occasions, come up against forces determined to thwart his ambition. The first was in Ukraine where in February, as a…