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3 hours ago
Last week, leaked documents from the Trump administration reportedly revealed plans to gut the US refugee program, not only capping refugee resettlement at a record low of 7,500, but also transforming it from a life-saving humanitarian system into one that favors white South Africans and Europeans over the world’s most vulnerable people. As a refugee who found safety and belonging in this country, I broke into a sweat reading the news. Memories of my own journey rushed back, now mixed with a deeper fear that racism and exclusion are not just social undercurrents, but official policy.
I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and fled war at 14, spending nearly two decades in a refugee camp in Uganda before finally being resettled in the United States. Here, I reunited with my family, built a new life, and became a citizen. My story is one of patience, resilience and gratitude for a country that gave me safety and the chance to rebuild my life and give back.
Despite these troubling political developments, I still love my country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Historically, generosity, welcoming and caring for people fleeing violence, war and persecution have been America’s core values. Refugees and immigrants like me have benefitted from these values when we were welcomed into this nation, and passed them on to our children. Since 1975 a total of 3.7 million refugees have been resettled in the United States. Refugees and immigrants are our neighbors and community members. We provide essential services in hospitals caring for people, in the military defending and protecting our nation, in restaurants, hotels and airports, and as workers on farms feeding the American people. We build houses and construct roads and highways so we can all safely make it home to our families. These services make everyone’s daily lives better while driving our nation’s socio-economic development.
The current administration conveniently ignores this. This week’s reports unfortunately fit into the pattern we’ve seen as Donald Trump looks to fundamentally upend our refugee systems. The president suspended the United States Refugee Admission Program (USRAP) on his first day in office, leaving 120,000 refugees who were conditionally approved to travel to the US in limbo, and froze funding to refugee agencies providing critical services. The International Refugee Assistance Project is currently engaged in a class action lawsuit challenging this suspension in the case Pacito v Trump.
In May, the Trump administration prioritized the admission of Afrikaners despite the suspension of USRAP, showing preference for one group instead of others, some of whom have been waiting a decade or more.
The administration alleges that part of its rationale for doing all of this is an unfounded claim that refugees place a burden on local communities. Yet, between 2005 and 2019, refugees contributed nearly $124bn more in state and local revenuecombined than they received in services. During the same period, refugees paid $581bn in federal, state and local taxes. A majority of Americans recognize the great effect of their neighbors and want to continue welcoming them, and more than 300 elected officials from across the country have vocalized bipartisan support to uphold and strengthen refugee resettlement.
Through USRAP, refugees like me are thoroughly vetted for years before we are allowed to travel to the US. USRAP is the most successful and celebrated refugee resettlement program, but now its future remains uncertain. Despite broad public support across the country for traditional resettlement, the Trump administration appears to be deciding who is worthy of safety based on the color of their skin and their political views. This is deeply alarming and betrays America’s deepest values. As someone who found hope and belonging here, I know that our greatness has never come from exclusion. It comes from compassion, courage and the belief that every person deserves a chance to rebuild their life in safety.
We must hold our elected leaders accountable for keeping their promises and passing policies that support and care for all who call America home. This includes protecting refugees and immigrants who give so much to our communities and implementing humane policies to address immigration without harming people seeking safety. That is true leadership.
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Bahati Kanyamanza is a former refugee who spent about 25 years in a Ugandan refugee camp and as a refugee in the US before he became a naturalized US citizen. He is the global partnerships director at the International Refugee Assistance Project
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