Helping Churches Stand in the Gap with Idaho’s Refugees
On January 20, an Executive Order paused new refugee arrivals, pending a 90-day review period. Four days later, all funding was suspended, including funds for refugees who had already arrived and were still within their case management period. A month after that, a federal judge granted a preliminary block to the ban of refugee resettlement - then the US State Department issued termination notices to all ten national resettlement agencies that operate as part of this 45-year bipartisan-supported program. These Executive Orders (EOs) and associated spending decisions have effectively broken our promises to people who were legally admitted and approved for resettlement in the US. The suspension even applies to SIV (Special Interest Visas) holders from Afghanistan - people who served in the US embassy or in the US military in Afghanistan at the risk of their own lives and the lives of their families, and who are now in danger in their home country because of their service for the United States.
We in Boise, Idaho have seen the effects of these decisions first-hand. One family from Syria who had gone through a four year process to get vetted and approved for resettlement in the US was on the way to the airport to come to the US when they were told that they were no longer able to come because of the EO to pause refugee arrivals. They had quit their jobs, terminated their rental agreement, and liquidated all of their possessions when they were told they were not allowed to be reunited with their family who is living in our city. There are thousands of similar stories, and our clients and friends have been affected by many of them.
In response, our local organization, Glocal, has been mobilizing churches to “stand in the gap” to help families who have recently arrived in the US but whose funding has been suspended. Glocal has raised over $45,000 to date to assist these families with rent, utilities, household furniture and goods, and groceries. Laura and I are part of a small fellowship of Jesus followers who immediately formed a group of people to come around a family who recently arrived from Afghanistan with an SIV. This group has helped this family enroll their kids in school, find an apartment, get bikes and safety gear for the kids, and secure an electric bike for the father to ride back and forth to work. Most importantly, our group has surrounded this Afghan family with the love and support they needed to have a successful start to their integration into American life.
Learn more about Glocal’s work and how you can join us as we “stand in the gap” with refugees at https://glocalboise.org/.
Nick and Laura Armstrong are Peace Catalyst Program Coordinators in Boise, Idaho. They have 23 years experience living in Indonesia and have now settled in Boise, where they are working as a team to build peace by connecting local church members with refugees from around the world who have settled in their area. Learn more about the Armstrongs here.
