Since 1980, the federal government has played a part, if not a small one, in helping refugees to the United States achieve economic sufficiency, social integration and long-term well-being through the refugee resettlement program. Recently, some New Hampshire lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to repeal the state’s participation in the relatively uncontroversial federal program, with one proponent calling it unsuccessful welfare for non-citizens, according to reporting from the Concord Monitor.
The program itself provides housing, food, clothing and legal documentation assistance within the first 90 days of someone’s arrival as a refugee, which is a crucial lifeline to those who need it most, according to the National Immigration Forum’s factsheet.
It is utterly ridiculous that a program like the refugee resettlement one, which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support under former President Jimmy Carter, was put under scrutiny by a group of state legislators who clearly do not understand the value that refugees add to our society.
The promise of America is one perhaps best reflected in the sonnet inscribed at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty; “The New Colossus,” by Emma Lazarus. The piece reads as follows:
“…Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Lazarus lived as a Jewish activist in the mid-late 19th century and wrote the poem in support of Jewish refugees who were fleeing anti-Semitic pogroms in Europe. I reflect on the history of this piece somberly nowadays. It is invoked quite frequently because of just how much xenophobia has reared its ugly head toward us in recent years. Public sentiment toward immigration, one of a select few issues where the American public leans more conservative, has been disappointing for me to see.
It seems the Fox News soundbites, sensationalized headlines and anecdotal stories have tainted the waters of public opinion, painting immigrants as people we should be afraid of, rather than people we should welcome into this country with open arms, as Lazarus suggests in her piece.
It used to be that being “pro-immigration” was actually partly a conservative ideal. The idea of the U.S. as a beacon of democracy and freedom that people of all national origins and ethnicities would want to move to and start a life in. Although we’ve never quite lived up to it, our promise of anyone being able to “make it” here is an admirable one and something we should always strive for. It is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all: Citizen, refugee or otherwise.
The refugee resettlement program started as a way to assist one of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach populations in terms of public support services: Refugees. These are people who have lived most, if not all, of their lives in wartorn countries where there was no dream of becoming successful, where simply living day-by-day is never promised, where conflict is constant and where human rights are practically nonexistent.
These people have gone through hell and back and have gone through the “proper” channels to not only apply for refugee status in our country, which is an extremely onerous process in and of itself, but also be accepted by the federal government. However, being accepted into the U.S. as a refugee does not automatically guarantee you have a life set up for you, and while I am not saying it should, I am saying that they should have the resources to make a life for themselves.
These are people who want to contribute to society meaningfully and be a part of the community and the government’s role should be to encourage that, not cut off what little support is already given to the few who make it through our broken system.
Fortunately, the N.H. State Senate unanimously defeated this misguided bill, with Senators of both parties expressing disbelief in the notion that refugees usurp resources from citizens.
While I have many gripes with today’s state legislature, I am glad the Senate made the unequivocally right call and I hope that the refugees residing in N.H. know many people love and value them for all they bring to our state and country.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
