Refugees make Kansas City stronger. We have work ahead after four years of setbacks

Imagine that you’re a refugee, recently arrived here after fleeing war, political and religious persecution or even genocide. You’re been traumatized, but you’re eager to rebuild your life. You’re going to need support: housing, workforce assistance, adult education, childcare, health care, transportation. If you can access these resources, especially in the first three months of arrival, you’re more likely to become stable, productive and, eventually, successful. After 25 years in the country, refugees have a median income of $67,000, a stunning $14,000 more than native-born Americans, according to the nonprofit New American Economy.

President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will raise the refugee admissions cap to 125,000 — up from just 15,000 during Donald Trump’s final year in office — but the real challenge isn’t about numbers. The last administration devastated the support network that helps refugees integrate successfully into American society. Now we need a bipartisan effort to restore this infrastructure. Doing so is a moral imperative, but it will also have an important economic impact on our post-coronavirus recovery.

During the pandemic, this support became even more vital. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, newly resettled refugees could be at higher risk of contracting and falling severely ill from COVID-19 because of certain underlying medical conditions, limited access to health care and their working conditions. But David Millibrand, president and CEO of the nonprofit International Rescue Committee, recently told NPR that over the last four years, there’s been “an 85% cut and an effective demolition of the refugee resettlement program.” His organization is the largest of the nine resettlement agencies contracted to work with the State Department.

Judy McGonigle Akers, executive vice president of Kansas City’s Della Lamb Community Services, told The Kansas City Star that their work was gutted under the last administration. I saw this firsthand. My organization, KC for Refugees, works with Della Lamb and other local partners to help refugees during their difficult early days here. We are volunteer-based, with support from local churches, so we didn’t have to downsize. But we saw our partners struggle. Even with fewer refugees arriving, they couldn’t meet demand. As a result, families were more likely to lack access to employment, health care and even food.

But take it from all of us in the resettlement community: Welcoming refugees into America is worth the resources. They’ve become — and remain — employed at high rates, especially in essential fields. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, health care is the second most common employment field for refugees in the United States, with high percentages working as personal care aides and registered nurses. Refugees also assimilate quickly, planting roots and learning English. Their rate of entrepreneurship dwarfs that of native-born Americans, with 13% of refugees starting new businesses, as opposed to just 9% of Americans. Studies show that communities become safer when refugees settle there in high numbers.

Here in Kansas City, refugees strengthen our community. During the pandemic, local furniture maker John Pryor enlisted refugees to help sew thousands of face masks. He was able to do this because of the logistical help provided by three local resettlement organizations: Rightfully Sewn, Catholic Charities and Refugee Employment Services. The 60-person crew, comprised of both Americans and natives of Burma and Afghanistan, sewed hundreds of masks — and were paid for the effort.

This is one example of many. Refugees fill crucial labor gaps in essential industries, including meatpacking, warehousing and home health care, often filling jobs that Americans won’t do. We depend on them, which means we must once again open our communities and our hearts to these newcomers.

Like those at all resettlement agencies, I’m happy the Biden administration is pledging to increase resettlement support. The new U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 offers a bold and inclusive vision for promoting both immigrant and refugee integration. The bill would increase funding for a host of organizations and government bodies dedicated to promoting integration and inclusion, increasing English-language instruction and providing assistance to individuals seeking to become citizens.

But with a gridlocked Congress, such a bill is unlikely to pass. That means the federal government and state policymakers must pursue other avenues to support refugee resettlement. They must work hand in hand with refugee communities and their advocates to address the greatest need. If they do, our economy — and our country — will be stronger for it.

Dr. Sofia Khan is the founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit KC for Refugees. She practices medicine in Kansas City.

This story was originally published February 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Refugees make Kansas City stronger. We have work ahead after four years of setbacks."