Integration of Resettled Refugees in the U.S. Midwest
Though the United States has historically hosted the largest third-country resettlement program in the world, debates about immigration and security led to the unprecedented politicization of refugee resettlement during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Once elected, President Trump issued a series of executive orders on immigration that, among other provisions, temporarily suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and slashed admissions in half. In this context, this project seeks to understand (a) how resettled refugees experience integration in the U.S. context, (b) what factors refugees consider to be most crucial in supporting their long-term integration and mobility, and (c) how changes in national resettlement policy have affected the ability of local agencies to support refugee integration at the local level.