It took ten years to rebuild New Mexico’s refugee program. Today, that recovery is at risk.
Here’s how we can build a more resilient resettlement program in the Land of Enchantment.
New Mexico’s resettlement landscape has been profoundly shaped by executive volatility. Prior to 2016, two parent resettlement agencies supported several resettlement offices across the state: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, now Global Refuge, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In 2016, these two parent agencies resettled over 340 refugees in the Land of Enchantment. Following the initial election of President Trump, Catholic Charities stopped resettling refugees in New Mexico—though they continue to provide integration services.
It would be almost a decade before New Mexico’s resettlement program would recover.
At its lowest point, New Mexico’s refugee program only resettled 27 refugees. Just last year, New Mexico resettled over 300 refugees for the first time since 2016.
Today, New Mexico’s refugee program is once again at risk.
While Global Refuge’s offices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces continue to provide resettlement services, New Mexico’s refugee program is undeniably less resilient than it was before. With only one parent agency, the state’s resettlement efforts are more vulnerable to decreases in arrivals, funding cuts, and continued political turmoil.
How can we build a more resilient resettlement program in the Land of Enchantment?
By passing a bipartisan bottom line for the U.S. Refugee Program.
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