When refugees arrive in Oregon, they can be deeply traumatized and therefore afraid to move forward. Haunted by all that happened in their home countries and in refugee camps, they may choose to hide in their homes. At Catholic Charities, it’s our job to have hope for them until they can hold hope for themselves.
Archive
Refugee resettlement in the NW corner of the U.S.: “An honor and a privilege”
This post originally appeared on USCCB’s Faces of Migration blog.
I've Been Called a Lot of Things...But Never an Angel
John Herrera is the director of the Immigration Legal Services program at Catholic Charities. He gave these remarks at a Christmas party hosted by friends of Catholic Charities.
Catholic Charities Board Member Featured in "Lower Refugee Cap Concerns Catholic Groups"
Before joining the Catholic Charities Board of Directors, Francis Kham was a refugee. Today, he is an outspoken advocate for both the Portland Zomi community, of which he is a part, and refugee resettlement in general, which has been reduced from 80,000 in 2016 to just 18,000 today. Read the full story from the Catholic…
Case Management and Advocacy Pave the Road to Self-Sufficiency
What does it take to help someone move past the trauma and culture shock experienced by so many new arrivals? Agencies like Catholic Charities help refugees rebuild their lives and become participating members in our community through a myriad of services, ranging from case management to advocacy. Case Manager Supervisor Fowzia Abdulle has dedicated her…
Keep Oregon Open: The Welcoming Refugees Bill Passes, Sets National Example
After a nearly 8 months of uncertainty, Oregon House Bill 2508, AKA the Welcoming Refugees Bill, passed in late June, at the eleventh hour of the legislative session. The bill paves the way for the state’s three resettlement agencies, Catholic Charities among them, to continue serving refugees as they rebuild safe, sustainable lives for themselves…
Public Charge: What You Need to Know/Carga Pública: Lo Que Debe Saber
On October 3, Catholic Charities hosted a Facebook Live event in an attempt to clarify some of the misinformation going around about the recent public charge rule change. Kat Kelley (Director, Strategic Initiatives), John Herrera (Director, Immigration Legal Services), and Sarah Purce (Assistant Director, Immigration Legal Services) presented important information in English and Spanish: What…
Catholic Charities featured in "Amid immigration crackdown, undocumented domestic abuse victims fear reporting abuse, seeking assistance"
In her highly anticipated follow-up to “‘A blanket of fear’: How deportations affect children,” the Catholic Sentinel’s Katie Scott examines the relationship between undocumented immigrants and local police and why many survivors of domestic abuse don’t feel safe going to the police. Read the full article here or in the October 4 issue of the…
Our Crisis of Character
I spent a week touring and working in respite centers along the southern border. While we were there, our team tried to help arrivals work through the trauma they had experienced, hoping to alleviate their intense anxiety. In this report, I walk you through the challenges faced by asylum seekers coming to the U.S. and…
What Is Public Charge? The State of Oregon Addresses Frequently Asked Questions on DHS Rule Change
Background: On August 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it has finalized the new public charge rule. The new rule will take effect October 15, 2019; it is not retroactive. Changes include, but are not limited to, expanding the kinds of public benefits considered in the public charge test. Under the…
OPB Explores the Challenges Faced by Rohingya Genocide Survivors in Portland
“There are complications [for resettling Rohingya people in the U.S.],” says by Arya Surowidjojo at OPB. “Khin Niang Cing, Hussein’s resettlement case manager with Catholic Charities of Oregon, said Hussein managed to bring his children’s birth certificates but not his marriage certificate. “This missing document, compounded by the slashing of the refugee resettlement quota by…