Jeff Giddings reports we have received several gifts to our Refugees Fund from inside and outside the congregation. He is keeping the money in a separate account so it can be identified. Thank you to all who have donated! Meanwhile, Bill has been continuing to push to try to get clarity on the evolving situation, but with limited success. The town Health Department has been doing assessments of individual immigrants regarding school and health needs, with the help of translators. Planning suggested to Bill that he ask the Health Department to report on any leadership or organization forming among the immigrants. Bill has called Health with this question but not received return calls.
The town Planning department says the state has agreed to house and feed the refugees for at least the next several months, and their kids are in school. But the planners offer no thoughts on where they will ultimately live, saying that question is up to the individual refugee families.
Meanwhile Gov. Healey and the legislature are arguing over whether the governor has the right to end guaranteed housing for newly arriving immigrants, as she announced last Friday. The governor has also formally requested of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the work authorization process be digitized and streamlined so immigrants can get speedier authorization to seek work, which would help them and also relieve pressure on the emergency shelter system in Massachusetts.
The two National guardsmen, on duty during the day at the hotel, stay in their locked room and say they are responsible only for arranging rides to doctors.
Bill has made contact with three refugees and says they are polite and pleasant. But meaningful communication, beyond wishing one another well, is not possible across the language barrier. Viola Fairweather has also visited with some of the children.
The situation has evolved from September’s immediate emergency into a long-term question of what individual refugees will decide to do.. No entity is accepting responsibility even though decisions are being made at the state level and above that will affect the refugees. We are not clear how best to proceed.
It does seem that translation/interpretation, and ultimately assistance in learning English, is key. Several refugees interviewed by the press have emphasized how badly they need help in learning English in order to get work permits and then to get work to support themselves. Gov. Healey’s request to the DHS Secretary emphasized the twin crises of the large number of arriving immigrants and “severe workforce shortages in all industries.” Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said in her joint press release with and the governor dated September 8, 2023: “We have the opportunity to not only address both of these issues, but also to grow our economy and strengthen our communities in the long run. We are hopeful that the federal government will take these requests into serious consideration.”
Bill summed up his October 21 report to the Social Justice Team members: “This issue is sort of perfect isn’t it?: local, state and national importance; need for charity, change, and education; need for what our church potentially has real ability at providing: thoughtful, creative innovation to ease/improve/facilitate the integration of immigrants into a US community. And yet, the way forward is very unclear… [And, If we are committed to continuing trying to address the challenge here:] What are we competent and motivated to provide?”
