FRANKFORT, Ky. -- As President Trump attempts to revamp his controversial immigration ban, advocates for refugees and immigrants in Kentucky are bringing a message to state leaders: Keep the welcome mat out.

Kentucky resettles more than twice the national annual average of refugees. Maria Koerner, assistant director at the Kentucky Office for Refugees, said that refugees who have resettled in the Bluegrass State are being introduced to their senators and representatives at the state capitol.

"I think a lot of times you can dispel misconceptions by just meeting someone face to face that's different than you,” Koerner said, "especially in the climate we're in right now and all the rhetoric and the narratives that play out in the news."

The fourth annual Refugee and Immigrant Day is a way to educate lawmakers about the state's resettlement programs and to brief them on the security screening and vetting that takes place, Koerner said. In the past year, resettlement agencies in Kentucky have served nearly 4,700 newcomers.

Two of the top five countries of origin for refugees in the state - Somalia and Syria - were included in Trump's travel ban.

Research has shown that refugee communities tend to do well once they are resettled. And according to Anna Baumann, an analyst with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, on average, refugees in Kentucky are meeting the goal of achieving employment within 120 days.

"They send their kids to school. They get jobs. They pay taxes,” Baumann said. "They get involved in a faith community. They volunteer. They are our neighbors."

She cited a report from The Center for American Progress showing that 11 percent of Syrian immigrants own businesses - that is compared to 3 percent of native-born residents.

But as America wrestles with questions of immigration, Koerner said those at the center of the issue are wondering if they are welcome here, and if they could be deported.

"People are worried about if they'll be reunited with their family members, because a big part of the refugee resettlement program is family reunification,” Koerner said. "Because of the situations they're escaping - wars and persecution - families are often separated."

Advocates will deliver an online petition asking the elected leaders to "keep Kentucky welcoming” when they meet with members of the state House and Senate. The petition has thousands of signatures.


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Leaders at the 5th annual Immigration Summit, which wrapped up in Los Angeles Friday, have vowed to stand strong no matter what happens with the November election.

The Republican candidate for president has called for mass deportations.

Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation, said it alarms many people in a county where more than one-third of the residents of all ethnicities are foreign-born, and about 60% of children have at least one immigrant parent.

"We've been engaged in scenario planning," Santana explained. "We've prepared our immigrant community so that they know their rights, that we have the proper defense, but also, we're advancing comprehensive immigration reform. That is really what's needed."

The summit was co-sponsored by the California Community Foundation, the Council of Immigrant Inclusion and the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California.

Manuel Pastor, director of the institute, said deportations would leave a huge hole in the economy and tear families apart.

"In L.A. County, about a fifth of all Angelenos are either undocumented themselves or living with a family member who is undocumented," Pastor pointed out. "Fear of deportation, problems with accessing services because of status, affect a wide number of families."

Researchers also released the 5th annual State of Immigrants in Los Angeles report, which found naturalizations and wages for immigrants are up over the past few years. It also recommended continued support for county programs providing legal aid and help people access services in their preferred language.


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The Missouri House of Representatives has formed a special committee to look into what the House Speaker refers to as crimes committed by immigrants living illegally in Missouri.

The formation of this committee has sparked a debate between those who see it as a necessary step for public safety and those who view it as a misuse of resources driven by political motives.

House Speaker Dean Plocher - R-St. Louis County - said he's convinced this committee's findings will increase the safety of Missourians.

"The message needs to be," said Plocher, "'If you're not here in the state of Missouri legally, you're going to be detained - and you're going to be deported if you're committing crimes.'"

Data provided by Customs and U.S. Border Protection show last year, there were more than 1,200 violent crimes by committed non-citizens in the U.S. nationwide, and more than 2,000 related to drug trafficking and possession.

The first committee hearing will be in Jefferson City on July 11.

State Rep. David Tyson Smith - D-Columbia - said this isn't an issue in Missouri, and believes the committee is a waste of time and resources. He said it's all being done for political talking points.

"If we are really serious about these issues," said Smith, "we would form a special committee on gun violence to crack down on the shootings that are happening all over our state, that need to be clamped down on."

Studies have repeatedly shown that immigrants - legal and illegal - are more law abiding than people born here.

Research from The Marshall Project has found no correlation between undocumented immigrants and a rise in violent crimes.

However, some committee members believe people living in the U.S. illegally are to blame for an increase in Fentanyl and sex trafficking.




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A "Dreamer" running for the New Mexico Senate said a Biden administration plan to create pathways allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals beneficiaries to more quickly gain legal status could encourage others to follow her lead.

Cindy Nava bested her primary opponent earlier this month to face Republican Audrey Trujillo in November for the state's Senate District 9 seat. Nava was the first DACA recipient to receive a presidential appointment as Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

Nava worked in the New Mexico Statehouse on behalf of Democratic lawmakers for a decade but could not get paid because she was undocumented. She eventually enrolled in the DACA program and became a U.S. citizen through marriage.

"I believe our families come from a place where we have always been afraid and my own parents tell me day to day," Nava pointed out. "But we learn to live with that fear and build resilience to work forward."

The 12-year-old DACA program provides protection from deportation and work authorization for undocumented young people who arrived as children and grew up in the U.S. The recent Biden initiative would allow those who have earned a college degree and received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree to more quickly receive work visas.

Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Nava grew up in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. She noted the U.S. population is shifting and predicted soon, DACA recipients will be occupying seats in Congress. She believes they need a more stable pathway, requiring bipartisan cooperation at all levels of government.

"New Mexico's a great example of having leaders who have invested in opening opportunities for immigrants, from educational opportunities to driver's licenses for immigrants," Nava emphasized. "All of those things actually can be undertaken at a state level, and can be deeply meaningful."

There are currently about 600,000 DACA recipients across the country, with more than 75% in the workforce.


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