Engaging Refugees and Allies in Promoting Resettlement

October 15, 2014The Linking Communities (TLC) Project

Fort Worth, TX

Jen Smyers, Associate Director, Immigration & Refugee Policy, Church World Service, jsmyers@cwsglobal.org, 202.420.0863

Folabi Olagbaju, National Grassroots Director, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service, FOlagbaju@lirs.org, 202-626-7931 

Bill Holston, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, BHolston@hrionline.org, 214-273-4333

AgendaBill: Example of Texas-based advocacy on issues

impacting refugees and vulnerable populations (10 min)

Folabi: Refugees engaging in advocacy (15 min)

Jen: Policy update, building champions & teams (20 min)

Q&A (5 min)

Small Group brainstorming (10 min)

Build Relationships Don’t be afraid of Blogs

But don’t read the comments Correspond with Journalists Tools: Letters to the Editor, Editorials, Commentaries, Sign on Letters Dealing with the Media

Be Prepared Be sure to make your points Be Responsive Remember sound bites, everything can be quoted out of

context Don’t get caught off guard

Dealing with Politicians Take the long view

Why do we need former refugees to exercise leadership?

Build trust with newcomersAuthentic voice on the issue through power of story

tellingCreate greater community understanding Create support for resettlement and integration

Example of successful approaches to fostering leadership development refugee engagement and grassroots advocacy

Empowering Refugees in Advocacy

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)

LIRS is the nation’s second-largest resettlement agency, assisting nearly 11,000 refugees each year. Since its founding in 1939, LIRS in partnership with our local affiliates has resettled nearly 400,000 refugees from around the world into communities across the United States.

Leadership Training and Advocacy

In recent years, LIRS has celebrated World Refugee Day by bringing together former refugee leaders for a 3-day training designed to:hone their leadership skillscreate opportunity for networkingadvocate for issues of concern to the broader

refugee communityOur goal: Lift up the voices of all refugees in

order to create welcoming communities around the country

World Refugee Day Academy

In 2014, 51 former refugee leaders from 23 states representing 16 countries of origin

Participants engaged in legislative advocacy trainingmet with their Members of Congress developed a 1-2 point action plans to take back

to their communities

LIRS Refugee Academy

Key portions of the training sessions were led by former refugees.

Highlights include 114 Hill visits, meetings with the White House and State Department.

Local action plans with 2-3 specific efforts or activities that the participants will undertake to address refugee issues in their local communities.

Taking it Back Home!

Some of the participant’s Strategic Action Plans include:Developing a network of immigrant faith leadersProviding a training for refugees and allies on cultural

diversity and communicationCreating a program to provide support for refugee

parents, including dispelling myths around Child Protective Services (CPS)teaching parents how to be advocates for their own

children in the local school systemOrganizing a food fair in the local communityConnecting with local elected officials and businesses

Structured Support for Sustained Engagement

We have also developed a structure to follow up with Academy participants. Organized within 4 regional grouping with a team leader.

Regular regional and national check-in calls.Communication tools including E-Newsletter,

listserv and Facebook page.

Lessons Learned

No substitute for face-to-face meeting to build a network of leaders and develop lasting relationships.

Training is not a one-off experience. Important to build a structure for sustained engagement.

Create leadership opportunities for team members and support network for their efforts.

Be cognizant of, and respectful of, former refugees’ time and prevailing situation.

Looking Ahead

LIRS plans to grow and expand the Academy.Explore more robust use of current academy

participants to plan and implement future ones.

“My greatest success has been my ability to encourage and empower fellow refugees to have a voice” Omar Bah, 2013 Refugee Academy Participant and Trainer for 2014 Refugee Academy.

PRM housing crisis support in 2009Doubled R&P grant in 2010, continued increasesIraqi refugees & SIV programFloor FundingRefugee provisions in immigration reformStopped cuts to ORR & MRA for 3 years in a rowUnaccompanied childrenReprogrammed fundsTrafficking Victims Protection ActAnti-refugee sentimentThree pro-refugee bills

We’ve been through a lot together!

Building a Movement

Celebrate winsDeepen understanding of long term goals, short

term goals, strategies & tacticsBuild sustainable teamsGrow political power

Community education, increasing numbersContinual team actions, events, meetingsBuilding relationships w/ policy makersCivic Engagement

Congressional UpdateCongress is not active now due to the upcoming electionsThis Summer they were working to address the situation of

unaccompanied children The Senate failed to pass a bill that would have increased

funding for ORR and other purposesThe House passed negative legislation that would:

Increase enforcement but inadequately fund ORRRollback anti-trafficking protections for children to deport them

more quicklyBan any renewal or expansion of DACA (Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals)The House also introduced legislation that would negatively

impact the asylum system

ORR Funding“Refugee and Entrant Assistance” account in the Labor / HHS billHistorically underfunded, education neededIncreases in unaccompanied children, asylum seekers & identified trafficking survivors necessitate urgent need for increases in account to keep services at current level

In June, ORR reprogrammed $94 million from refugee services to care for the increase in unaccompanied immigrant children. $22.5 million was later replenished

The short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) would allow ORR and other agencies to spend more than their 2014 pro-rated around between October 1 and December 11 2015

ORR Announced on September 18th that all funds will be replenished

Congress will have to pass a longer-term funding bill before December 11. This bill should provide ORR at least $2.18 Billion in FY 2015 to adequately fund services to meet the needs of unaccompanied children, refugees, asylees, and all populations in ORR’s care, and prevent any future cuts.

Unaccompanied Children

2004-2011: 7,000 and 8,000 annually 2013: 24,000 children, 2014: 60,000 children

More girls, younger children arriving, more victims of trauma Fewer Mexicans, more from Guatemala, El Salvador &

Honduras

Asylum requests by Guatemalans, Hondurans & Salvadorans in Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize increased by 712 percent since 2009, even more fleeing internally

Recent data from Syracuse University shows that 79.5% of children released to a relative are showing up for court  - and even more - 95.1% are showing up when they have a lawyer.

Trafficking Victims Protection Act

The TVPRA passed both chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President Bush to keep children from being returned back into the hands of traffickers and gangs.

Changes to the TVPRA would mean that children would not have a meaningful opportunity to have their story heard, apply for asylum, or be cared for by child welfare personnel, and would be deported to life-threatening situations.

More than 300 faith-based organizations and 4,000 people of faith have urged Congress and the Administration to uphold these protections, supported by 70% of the public.

Current Asks

Increase funding for ORR: $2.18 billion Reject rollbacks to the Trafficking

Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) Protect the U.S. asylum system Support international programs to reduce

reasons why children have to flee Protect Deferred Action for Childhood

Arrivals (DACA) Administratively expand Deferred Action

and stop deportations

Refugee LegislationStrengthening Refugee Resettlement Act, H.R. 651Rep. Ellison (D-MN-5)

Admit refugees as LPRsExpand MG, R&P, case managementDomestic resettlement emergency fund

Refugee Protection Act, S. 645 and H.R. 1375Sen. Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Lofgren (D-CA-14)

Eliminate one-year filing deadlineProtect refugee familiesAuthority to designate groups for resettlement (“Lautenberg”)

Domestic Refugee Resettlement Reform & Modernization ActRep. Peters (D-MI-14), Rep. Stivers (R-OH-15) H.R. 1784, Sen. Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Collins (R-ME) S. 883

Elevates ORR within the HHS bureaucracy Allows formula state funding to include projected arrivalsHelps with data collection & assistance to secondary migrants

Refugee Provisions in CIRAll refugee provisions in the original bill S.744 remained:

Elimination of the 1-year filing deadlineFamily reunification provisions for refugee

familiesAuthority to designate certain groups of

humanitarian concern for resettlementExtension of the Afghan and Iraqi SIV programsProvisions to help stateless individuals gain LPR

statusRepresentation at overseas refugee interviews

and improves “Request for Review” process

Assess where each of your policy makers areDo they know who refugees are? Have they met a refugee?What are their misperceptions?

Determine how to best engage each policy makerWho are the best messengers?What are the best messages?Start with an “easy ask” – meeting a refugee, attending

an event, speaking at a ceremonyBe ready for a “hard ask” – cosponsoring a bill,

defending against anti-refugee sentiment, fundingServe as a resource for staffAttend community eventsBuild a mutual relationship with staff and member

Gradually Build Champions

Photo Op!

What’s more patriotic than a citizenship

ceremony, or a celebration of refugees

in your community?

Invite policy makers to: •Conduct citizenship oath•Teach a civics or ESL class•Take a photo w/ refugees•Introduce refugees•Attend or speak at World Refugee Day

“SPEECH!”Empower policymakers to commit to refugees

Every Voice Heard•Events show community support•Share photos with policy makers & encourage them to attend next time!•Ask staffers and community partners to attend events•Make an event announcement for all to:• Call a policymaker – right now! all together! – sharing support for refugees• Sign up for refugee advocacy alerts• Write or sign letters in support of refugees or thanking a policy maker•Start or grow an advocacy team!

Meet with your Reps & Senators

Meeting with your Representatives and Senators and their staff is critical to educating them about the vital role that refugees play in your communities

The ideal group for such a meeting will include a refugee who can share a powerful story, the director of an agency or a case manager who knows the ins and outs of program work, a faith leader, a business leader, a volunteer or respected community member

Who you are. Why you care. What you want.

Compelling. Concrete. Concise.  

Civic EngagementCivic engagement is a key component of integrationCivic engagement is part of our mission to build

welcoming communitiesNon-profit civic engagement work is non-partisan, and

does not endorse any candidate or political party Voter registration, Ride coordination, Get Out the Vote

calling & door knocking with partnersLifting up political power of refugees for change

www.rcusa.org/WRD2014

Core Principles of Organizing

What are we changing? How does our work for welcoming communities and refugee and immigrant rights win or create concrete improvements in people’s lives?

What are we building? How are we creating and sustaining teams of people who can take action together for change?

Team: What it is...

A group of people that is connected by…..

Shared Passion Love of People Vision for ChangeCommitment to work together

to bring that change about

Step 1: Internal Assessment

What am I passionate about? Why? What in my life journey has brought about this passion?

What policy changes (national and local) would you and your community like to see?

How could I see my community working to be part of bringing that change about?

What does being an “advocate” mean to you?

Step 2: One on One Relationship Building

Face to faceIntentional conversation, not an

interviewListening for passion, vision, storiesWork together to identify othersFind a Partner!

Who is one person who might most share your vision and help you build / energize a Team?

Step 3: Grow your Team!

Domino Effect of 1 on 1 meetings!

Who else might care / be interested? Ask: can you now reach out to 3-5

more people? Set a timeline for a Team meeting

Step 4: Bring the team together

Goal: solid group of 8-10 peopleCreate a common vision: One year from now, what are

our hopes and expectations? Create an action plan: How do we build toward that?Who are natural allies who can be energized into being

advocates?Decide on next steps

Sample Advocacy Calendar

Oct – Dec: ORR funding letters, meetings; civic engagement stories, events

Jan – May: Team building, community education, expanding base

June: World Refugee Day events, meetings

July – Sept: Meetings with members of congress, letters, emails, calls

ResourcesToolkits for congressional visits:

Refugee Council USA: rcusa.org/wrd2014Interfaith Immigration Coalition:

www.interfaithimmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2013/01/IIC_NEIGHBOR_to_NEIGHBOR_Toolkit_01.pdf

Information on Senators, Representatives, Committees: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

We send updates on legislation as part of the Monday bulletin. Sign up for advocacy alerts: cwsglobal.org/speakoutbit.ly/refugeeadvocacywww.interfaithimmigration.org

Join quarterly National Refugee Advocacy Calls. Next Call: 12:00 PM EST Friday, November 7th.