Refugees and immigrants have faced uncertainty in recent weeks amid a second executive from President Donald Trump aiming to ban travel from certain countries, recently blocked in two separate cases.
One does not need to look far to find those who would be affected by the recent executive orders. Arizona Week visits a classroom where each child has a unique story with one thing that ties them all together: They’re all from other countries. They’re taking courses to learn English and develop the tools they need to transition to mainstream curriculum.
Syrian Fatimah al-Mohammad spent time in Jordan before making her way to the U.S. and Tucson. She had started learning English before coming to the U.S., though math is her real passion, and she hopes one day to be a judge.
Also on the program
- Faith-based groups have long worked to help refugees resettle in their new homes. Connie Phillips, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, has called recent events “extremely disruptive” to the work her organization does, as well as a frightening time for those who arrive as refugees.
- Without volunteers, many doors would stay closed to refugees. Arizona Week visits two volunteers who have come up with a simple and practical way to help refugees provide a living for their families.
- Arizona Week looks at research from the Partnership for a New American Economy, a business group formed by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The research looks at the impact of refuges and immigrants in the U.S., and in Arizona.
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