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MIGRANT CARE — A whistleblower complaint filed Wednesday with Congress and the Health and Human Services’ inspector general alleges that unaccompanied minors housed in migrant shelters "were being watched over by contractors with no Spanish-language skills or experience in child care who usually stood idly at the edge of crowded tents," reports Julia Ainsley of NBC News. The contractor, Servpro, specializes in emergency cleanup after natural disasters — and "shows no record of having handled a contract related to child welfare before it took on the care of nearly 5,000 children who were housed at the facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May." While the whistleblower complaint does not allege illegal behavior, it points to "gross mismanagement and a threat to public health and safety," causing "physical, mental and emotional harm affecting dozens of children." IOWA — Single parent Jaime Betancourth and his 9-year-old son Owen made the trek to the U.S. from Honduras only to be turned away at the border under Title 42 restrictions, Rylee Wilson reports for The Cedar Rapids Gazette. After waiting in Mexico, Jaime and Owen were able to enter the U.S. in May, and with the help of Iowa City Catholic Worker House were able to resettle in Iowa City along with three other families. "The truth is we feel like we’re in our own home in the Catholic Worker House, and we don’t lack anything we need," Betancourth said. Farther west in Iowa, at Second Reformed Church in Pella, Matthew Soerens of World Relief and the Evangelical Immigration Table led a conversation on how Christians can serve both refugees and immigrants, Sarah Stortz reports for The Oskaloosa Herald. "Our mission isn't just to resettle refugees, it’s to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable," said Soerens. Meanwhile, for The Daily Iowan’s opinion section, Hannah Pinski writes that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ (R) immigration policy "is stemming from a lack of empathy and understanding of the humanitarian crisis happening in Central America and at the Southern Border."
ALASKA — Once a vacant parking lot, a space in Anchorage, Alaska, is now a farm tended by more than 20 immigrant and refugee farmers, Kavitha George reports for Alaska Public Media. Nonprofits like Grow North Farm, Anchorage Community Land Trust and Catholic Social Services have collaborated to provide a farm training program and business development support for refugees and immigrants, who then tend their own plots for a small fee. The farm "is providing economic opportunity, but it is also really, truly providing a space of prosperity and belonging and community for participating farmers that is just as integral as the opportunity to earn an income," said Anchorage Community Land Trust spokesperson Emily Cohn. Added Issa Spatrisano, the State of Alaska’s refugee coordinator and program director at Catholic Social Services Alaska: "All of us figure out everyday what it means to be Alaskan. And refugees are part of that story." AIRMAN BOTCHWAY — Airman 1st Class Takyi Botchway hopes to become a U.S. citizen so he can sponsor his 7-year-old daughter, who still lives in his home country of Ghana, reports Rachael Riley of The Fayetteville Observer. In 2014, Botchway won the Diversity Visa lottery, and later joined the Air Force with hopes of becoming a pilot. An Air Force liaison put him in contact with USCIS, and he is now "counting down the days" for a response. "It would really be a big turning point," Botchway said of having his citizenship application approved. "… I’ll be so happy when I can break the news [to my daughter] and tell her to come to live here." Thanks for reading, Ali |
