B Stands for Barriers

Good afternoon,

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will conclude this Sunday. Reaching the Olympic stage is a remarkable feat for any athlete, requiring strength, determination and hope. These qualities are especially apparent in the immigrant athletes competing in Tokyo.

Track and field runner Luis Grijalva is a DACA recipient from Guatemala and a student at Northern Arizona University (where my son will be a freshman this fall). His DACA status meant that if he left the U.S. for the Olympics, he would not be allowed to reenter the country. With the help of his attorney, USCIS officials, Representative Tom O’Halleran and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Luis was able to receive a special travel permit that will allow him to participate in the Tokyo games and reenter the U.S. afterward. Because his DACA status does not allow him to compete for the U.S., he is running for his native Guatemala in the men's 5,000-meter finals, representing his birth country and all of our nation’s Dreamers.

Born and raised in a small village in Kenya, Benard Keter was scouted by Texas Tech University’s track and field team. In 2016, while still in school, Keter joined the U.S. Army and became a member of its World Class Athlete Program. Tokyo 2020 is Keter’s first Olympic Games, and this week he finished 11^th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil marked the first appearance of the Refugee Olympic Team. This year in Tokyo, there are 29 athletes on the team, hailing from 11 home countries and 13 host countries. Their participation in the Olympics shines a light on the plight of refugees – but also their resilience. Swimmer Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee whose "very survival once depended on her ability to swim," says "I represent millions around the world. A refugee is a human being like any other. A refugee means a person who is seeking refuge, a place where they want to stay safe. And there is nothing wrong with that. I am sending a message that refugees won’t give up easily and will keep on dreaming even after going through tough journeys."

Over the last two weeks, we’ve enjoyed watching these remarkable athletes compete and hearing their incredible stories. Their grit and hope inspires us to continue fighting for an immigration system that reflects our American values and recognizes the many contributions and accomplishments of immigrants.

Go Team USA (and the Refugee Olympic Team)!

Adam

Adam Estle
Vice President of Field and Constituencies
National Immigration Forum 

P.S. ICYMI – Last week, the Forum’s President and CEO, Ali Noorani spoke with Bill Kristol, Director of Defending Democracy Together, about the budget reconciliation process and what it could mean for immigration reform. Watch the discussion here.

NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:

ABC NEWS: CBP encounters highest monthly number of migrants attempting to cross border since 2000

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Judge blocks Texas troopers from stopping migrant transports

LOS ANGELES TIMES: ‘They deserve our help.’ U.S. expands Afghan refugee program as violence spikes

REUTERS: Biden-pick Ur Jaddou confirmed to head Citizenship and Immigration Services