Despite Trump Administration’s Anti-Refugee Rhetoric, Knoxville Continues to Welcome Refugees

                      President Trump’s disdain for immigrants and particularly of refugees is evident, which is why within the first few months in office, Trump implemented three executive orders concerning the state of immigrants and refugees, most notoriously, the order to ‘Protect the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’, otherwise became known as the travel ban. This mandate suspends the entry of immigrants for 90 days and stops all refugees for 120 days from six Muslim-majority countries- Syria, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia. Trump’s refugee reform also capped entry to a mere 45,000 refugees while barring Syrian refugees indefinitely.^[1] Fortunately, Trump’s travel ban continued to be overturned and suspended, but he had to assert his power somehow. He declared implementation of a more vigorous and rigid vetting system, as though there wasn’t one to begin with. Natasha Hall, a former immigration officer with the Department of Homeland Security, gives detail to how grueling and calculating the vetting process is, “questions aimed at identifying fraudulent answers and malicious intent. I’ve witnessed countless refugees break down crying in my interview room because of the length and severity of the vetting process. Then, four years after leaving Syria and three years registering as refugees, being told to go back. Go back where?”[2]

           
            Despite many restraints working against refugees, Americans continue to protest for immigrant and refugee rights. As Knoxville is my hometown, I am particularly proud to see the efforts in assisting refugees and understanding the harsh repercussions that awaits them back in their homeland. Knoxville saw a 35% increase of refugees in 2017 since 2014, hoping to reach a 44% increase by the end of 2017. Bridge Refugee Services resettled 245 refugees from Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, and Somalia.^[3] Drocella Mugorewera, a Rwandan refugee and now the Executive Director at Bridge Refugee Services, remains confident that the U.S. will be accepting of refugees no matter how unsympathetic the Trump Administration continues to be.

            Several Knoxville organizations have condemned Trump’s anti-refugee orders. Allies of Knoxville's Immigrant Neighbors, a group that advocates for immigrants' rights, speaks on the president’s remarks as "abhorrent" and “premised on the idea of white racial supremacy.” ^[4] Trump will continue to utilize fear tactics to incite nationalist ideas, but I believe the goodness of the American people will continue to fight against this as to not abandon our fellow brothers and sisters and give them the basic human rights that they so deserve.

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[1] Trump, Donald J. “Executive Order Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The White House, The United States Government, 27 Jan. 2017. (Supreme Court upholds Trump’s revised ban- current ban affects Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.)

[2] Hall, Natasha. “Refugees Are Already Vigorously Vetted. I Know Because I Vetted Them.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 Feb. 2017.

[3] Scott, Mary. “More Refugees Than Ever Before Calling Knoxville Home.” WBIR Local 10 News, 2 Jan. 2017.

[4] Ohm, Rachel. “Rwandan Refugee in Knoxville Hurt but 'Not Surprised' by Trump Comments.” Knoxville News Sentinel, Knoxville, 12 Jan. 2018.