To the editor,
The recent story in Grand Forks Herald (Oct. 12:
Refugee, immigrants, advocates speak on barriers, community in Greater Grand Forks
) about Mutware “Philippe” Ngomirakiza and the work of the Global Friends Coalition reveals both the strength and the vulnerability of those who come here legally as refugees, as well as the misconceptions and political indifference that threaten their chance to build new lives. I urge every policymaker to read it.
Ngomirakiza’s experience reminds us that many people – even some legislative staffers – don’t understand the difference between a refugee and an undocumented immigrant. Refugees have fled war, persecution, or violence and come to the United States only after years of background checks, interviews and waiting. They arrive legally, seeking safety and a chance to contribute.
Yet, as Cynthia Shabb of Global Friends Coalition explained, recent federal decisions are making that harder. Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, along with reductions in refugee cash assistance, are not abstract budget lines – they are life-altering blows to families who have already endured more than most of us can imagine. Mothers in our community now face raising infants alone after their husbands were detained under new immigration enforcement policies. Others live in fear, afraid even to speak their native languages in public.
These are real people – not statistics, not talking points. They are neighbors, students, workers, parents. They enrich our communities and our economy, and they remind us of our nation’s moral promise to be a refuge for those fleeing oppression. Like so many of our ancestors, they seek safety, opportunity and belonging.
We should not be turning our backs on them now. I applaud Global Friends, New Hope for Immigrants, and all who continue to “weave a wider community.” But their efforts should be matched by a government that understands and honors the difference between lawful refuge and unlawful entry – and that upholds America’s best traditions of compassion, justice and inclusion.
It is time for our elected officials – both in Congress and the administration – to listen, learn and lead with empathy. These policies affect real people. And when we fail them, we fail ourselves.
Ann Porter
Grand Forks