“Current Challenges Facing Refugees & Immigrants”

“No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”

This quote from a poem about seekers of asylum launched a gathering of 111 people on April 21, co-sponsored by Penn State Dickinson Law and International Service Center. Eight professional panelists discussed the impacts of our current Administration’s role out of HR1, nicknamed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed into law on July 4, 2025 with intention to target immigrants as an Administration priority.

The morning presentations focused on psychological and medical struggles of refugees since the implementation of the 2025 laws. Many of the presenters had been refugees themselves, now professionals in various roles helping the next wave of immigrants in our country. They identified several traumatizing impacts medically and psychologically on refugees living in constant fear and anxiety. Olivia Alcarez, clinic director for a free health clinic in Harrisburg, Beacon Clinic, discussed how they developed outreach and home health options for immigrant families too fearful to come to their doctor and medication appointments. With the recent news of ICE agents grabbing people off the streets and separating families through detaining and deporting, the fears are legitimate. A panel discussed ways to address the fears and anxieties of refugee families who are waiting for the completion of their official paperwork toward citizenship.

The afternoon panelists focused on the legal rights of refugees. An Afghan army refugee and staff member of ISC, who had worked alongside Untied States military, described the fears of his community with regard to the recent Minnesota ICE violence. He described serving ISC clients whose paperwork that normally would take 6 months to complete is now taking longer than three years! The struggles and anxiety created by living for years in limbo and having to re-apply with fresh paperwork, is not only emotionally and financially draining, but it traumatizes our immigrant communities.

As Judge Tunheim wrote in his Temporary Restraining Order in Minnesota (Feb 27): “Decades ago, as a nation, we made a solemn promise to refugees fleeing persecution: that after rigorous vetting, they would be welcomed to the United States and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives. We assured them that they could care for their families, earn a living, contribute to their communities, and live in peace here in the United States. We promised them the hope that one day they could achieve the American Dream. The Government’s new policy breaks that promise—without congressional authorization—and raises serious constitutional concerns.”