CVOEO calls for further state protections for asylum seekers and refugees

This commentary was submitted to VTDigger by the CVOEO team of Virginie Diambou, Paul Dragon, Jess Hyman, Sandrine Kibuey, and Lindsay Wenkouni Reid.

For more than two centuries, America has been a beacon of hope for people around the world fleeing hardship and persecution in search of freedom and a more prosperous life for themselves and their families. This is a country built and strengthened by immigrants through the values of hard work and commitment to community.

A common myth holds that immigrants “steal jobs” or act as a drain on public resources. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, even undocumented immigrants contribute substantially to the public good – in 2022, this group paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, $37.3 billion of which went to state and local governments. The ITEP states, “More than a third of the tax dollars paid by undocumented immigrants go toward payroll taxes dedicated to funding programs that these workers are barred from accessing.”

Under a plan verbalized by the incoming administration in Washington, D.C, and clearly outlined in their policy proposals, asylum seekers and refugees would no longer be welcomed or taken in by our country — there would be no safe harbor for them here. Instead, people will be rounded up into detention centers, and families, including children, will be separated from each other and subject to mass deportations. We know the administration intends to include people recently fleeing persecution, as defined by international and U.S. law, and people who have lived here for years that are fully invested in this country.

At the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, we urge the state of Vermont to protect asylum seekers and refugees from the incoming administration’s plans. CVOEO has a long history of working with new people coming to this country. Last year, we helped strengthen the capacity of a network of six organizations providing critical services to asylum seekers. These organizations facilitate employment, promote self-sufficiency, enhance community integration and increase housing stability.

Our colleague and coordinator for this work, Lindsay Wenkouni Reid, recently issued a report describing challenges and opportunities for these small, under-resourced, and hard-working organizations. The report also describes how new people in Vermont enrich our communities through employment and civic participation.

Based on this work with our partners over the past year, and our long history working with new people coming to this country, CVOEO calls for the following response by the state of Vermont:

1. The Legislature should create and fund a working group with the goal of strengthening Vermont protections for asylum seekers and refugees.
2. The state should open and / or support an Asylum Seekers Assistance Bureau or equivalent to reduce inefficiencies and bureaucratic delays and promote the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into the community and the workforce.
3. The state should renew and make ongoing the one-time funding for the asylum seeker network to maintain and build capacity to effectively coordinate and streamline statewide services.
4. The state should support the hiring of at least six additional staff statewide to support employment, housing and access to essential services like health care.
5. The state should host/sponsor legal clinics across Vermont to support people who are now living in uncertainty and fear.

CVOEO has a team of community ambassadors providing translation, interpretation and a host of other education and navigation services for New Americans, refugees and asylum seekers. Our colleagues are accomplished, they speak multiple languages and all have come to this country with rich professional and educational experiences. After a recent meeting, one of the ambassadors said that they were all worried, even fearful, about their future.

Think about that. Coming to this country to find safety, freedom, employment, a home and a community after fleeing violence and persecution and instead, finding yourself publicly threatened, bullied and traumatized yet again. No person should live in fear, and if we all work together, Vermont will be a true place of refuge, safety and economic opportunity for all.