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John,
I'm the director of the IRC's resettlement office in Missoula, Montana and wanted to reach out about the potentially drastic and inhumane cuts to the number of refugees allowed into the U.S.
If the number is significantly reduced from the current historical low — as outlets like The New York Times and Politico have reported could happen — our community and the refugees we serve will be deeply affected. We have so many families waiting for their loved ones — children, spouses, siblings — and it's devastating to think that they may never be reunited.
For the last three years, we’ve been building a community of Congolese, Eritrean, Iraqi and Syrian refugees right alongside my fellow Montanans. These refugee families are so resilient and inspiring and have been embraced by their neighbors. We've already trained over 250 community members to be community mentors.
We're also seeing refugees bring their cultures to our small town. Among them is an Iraqi family who started a food truck, sharing the foods they love to our community. Refugees are also filling needed positions and excelling in their jobs. A Congolese refugee was recently promoted to housekeeping supervisor at the Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula. |
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