Refugee community in Greensboro worried about upcoming election

The language used recently against immigrants and refugees coming to the United States has many people worried about their future after Election Day.

But in Greensboro, refugees and immigrants are ready to make their voices heard by going to the polls amid anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Church World Service in Greensboro It hosted many workshops and events centered around voting.

The nonprofit resettlement agency was founded in 1946 and has been based in Greensboro since 2009. It has many locations throughout the state, including Durham.

Megan Shepard is the education coordinator for the Greensboro district’s immigration program. He said the refugee and immigrant community already faced scrutiny under former President Donald Trump’s administration.

“What I find very sad is that there is this negative rhetoric and it is very unwelcome,” he said. I do not believe that these are the core values ​​of the country we live in. “This reflects our values ​​in this country because we are a nation of immigrants.”

Under the Trump administration, the number of refugees coming to the United States has plummeted due to limits on how many people can come to the country. Only 15,000 people were accepted in 2021. The Biden administration soon lifted this limit.

“Previous administrations and anti-–refugee, anti–Shepard said immigration policies are really harmful to the refugees and immigrants here. “It kept families apart for longer.”

Shepard said they were working with newly naturalized citizens to enable them to vote and to encourage others to vote as well.