WASHINGTON, D.C.—Americans across the country continue to speak out—with the their elected representatives and in the media—to push for solutions that would protect the newcomers they have welcomed through private sponsorship programs authorized by the U.S. government (the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans; Uniting for Ukraine; Operation Allies Welcome; and the Welcome Corps) and allow people in need of safety to utilize these lawful, orderly pathways to find safety in the United States. In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has not only suspended many of these programs, but signaled that the legal status of sponsored individuals with humanitarian parole already in the country could be revoked, leaving thousands of newcomers and their American sponsors in limbo, worried about the future.
Amidst the confusion and uncertainty, American sponsors are contacted their elected officials, participating in town halls, and are making their voices heard in local and national media, sharing their personal experiences with sponsorship and discussing how newcomers have strengthened their communities by revitalizing local economies, addressing labor shortages in key industries, and bridging divides.
Keith Mast (Brevard, North Carolina) on CNN: Republicans facing backlash at town halls over Trump decisions “I said [to Rep. Chuck Edwards], would you be willing to assist me to make sure temporary protected status is not revoked? He answered, ‘Yes, I will help you.’ And he motioned to his staff, who later gave me their cards, and I’ve been in contact with them already. [...] The Ukrainians are in the news. Are they going to be sent back, why are they going to be sent back? I’m concerned that my [beneficiary] family, the Polianok family, are going to be deported and sent back to Ukraine. [...] It’s just been an amazing experience for me and also an amazing family.”
Sandra McAnany (La Crosse, Wisconsin) and Bill Bewick (Richland Center, Wisconsin) in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: They came to the U.S. legally with American sponsors. Trump put their future in jeopardy.
“The moves have left those migrants who are here fearful, and their American sponsors frustrated. They see the CHNV program — an acronym for the four Latin American countries that qualify — as an effective and beneficial immigration pathway. It provided migrants an incentive to arrive legally instead of crossing the southern U.S. border without authorization, as well as giving them a support network when they arrived, McAnany said. [...] The migrants ‘went through the background checks, and they waited where they were. They didn’t rush the border,’ McAnany said. ‘They followed all of the rules. But now the rules are changing.’”
“Retired math teacher and carpenter Bill Bewick of Richland Center had already sponsored a Ukrainian family of five in 2022. And in 2023, he wanted to do it again. Having read about the dangerous journey migrants take through the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama, Bewick sought to sponsor a Venezuelan family. [...] Over his time as a sponsor, Bewick has been driven by his deep Christian faith and a connection to the Good Samaritan story. The new immigration policies from the Trump administration come from a ‘spirit of cruelty,’ in his view.”
Justin Reese (Tyler, Texas) in ProPublica: These Soldiers Risked Their Lives Serving in Afghanistan. Now They Plead With Trump to Let Their Sister Into the U.S.
“The actions have also blocked the arrival of persecuted Christians, whom Trump had previously vowed to protect. That includes an Afghan family whose conversion led to violent attacks from conservative Muslims, according to refugee organizations. [...] Word of their persecution spurred a church in the conservative East Texas community of Tyler to sponsor the family’s refugee resettlement applications. Justin Reese, a 42-year-old software developer in Tyler who volunteers to help resettle refugees, said telling the family that it could no longer come was heartbreaking. [...] ‘You went from this level of commitment and certainty to none at all, literally in the space of a couple of minutes,’ he said.”
David Orcutt (Granbury, Texas) in The Dallas Morning News: Letter to the Editor: Refugees improve us
“Over the last three years, our small community in Granbury has sponsored 12 Ukrainian refugee families. Despite the divisive narratives dominating the news, these people aren’t looking for handouts. They’ve lost everything — homes, careers and livelihoods — and just want stability, opportunity and safety for their kids. [...] Sponsoring refugees isn’t a burden to our country, it’s an investment in our future. Why end a program that does as much good for us as the people we welcome? Our leaders should look closely at these successful programs before taking drastic actions to eliminate them.”
Garnet Knopp (Palmer, Alaska) in the Anchorage Daily News: Letter: How do we want to be remembered in history?
“Uniting for Ukraine is a sponsorship program funded by the sponsors themselves, American citizens who have chosen to vouch for individuals or families from Ukraine. It has existed from the beginning of the war until it, like other humanitarian parole programs, was put on hold earlier this year. The family I sponsored fled through Transnistria and Moldova before finally arriving in Alaska in July last year. They have not only been my companions but valuable assets to our farm since the day after they arrived. [...]
“As our international policies evolve under the new administration, I would ask my fellow Alaskans what kind of world they want to live in, and how they want the history books to remember them. Please join me in writing or calling our federal representatives about the value of a robust, compassionate, legal immigration process and consider supporting the Alaska Institute for Justice through Pick-Click-Give.”
Bobi Throneburg (Kewanee, Illinois) in The Kewanee Voice: Kewanee Welcomes faces challenges amid federal immigration policy shifts
“‘As I began to talk to others in the community, I found there was not only an interest to learn how to help, but many were moved with compassion and a sense of justice regarding Afghanistan, and immigrants in general. A group of us attended an event held by World Relief in the Quad Cities, where we learned in great detail how welcoming refugees benefits a community,’ said Throneburg. [...] “Currently living in town are the Iraqi family and two Ukrainian families. ‘Our role has evolved from caseworkers to friends and neighbors,’ she said.”
“Now Kewanee Welcomes is asking the community to help by reaching out and contacting lawmakers on behalf of the families. They are requesting residents voice their support of private sponsorship and share how these families are making a positive impact on our community.”
Marianne Kartson (Cleveland, Ohio) on News 5 Cleveland: Clevelanders share their concerns for Ukrainians they helped through a now-paused sponsorship program
“Kartson is leaning on faith as the fate of the women she sponsored through Uniting for Ukraine, and thousands of others like them, is uncertain right now. ‘They’ve enriched my life beyond,’” said Kartson. [...] Kartson said the mother and daughter they sponsored work full time in retail, and she is remaining hopeful and prayerful for the future. ‘They’ve become so self-sufficient, independent, and they’re just very grateful for the opportunity to be here in safety and here living in peace,’ said Kartson.”
Angela Boelens (Dewitt, Iowa) in The Quad-City Times: Editorial: Keep humanitarian parole program that brings Ukrainians to DeWitt
“‘They are working jobs, paying taxes and contributing to their communities just like Americans do.’ Boelens estimates the Ukrainians have about $1.2 million in mortgages just in DeWitt. [...] Some believe Trump is planning to end humanitarian parole programs such as Uniting for Ukraine. That would be a short-sighted mistake, erasing the gains made in DeWitt and putting Ukrainian families in harm's way.”
Mike MacIsaac (Saugerties, New York) in Hudson Valley One: Letter to the Editor: One act of kindness at a time
“I discovered Welcome Connect, an initiative that helps Americans sponsor refugees. I immediately thought of the many families fleeing Ukraine, but hesitated to take action. Life got in the way and I procrastinated. Then, on the second anniversary of the invasion, I received a new job offer. It felt like a sign. I revisited the Welcome Connect website and began the process of becoming a sponsor. [...]
“Hosting them has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve seen firsthand the resilience of the human spirit as they adjusted to a new country, eager to contribute. We shared our first Thanksgiving and Christmas together, celebrations filled with gratitude and new memories. Though their journey was born from tragedy, it has brought joy and purpose into my life. What started as an act of kindness has turned into something much deeper. We began as strangers, but today, we are family.”
Clydie Wakefield (Lehi, Utah) in Deseret News: Opinion: An open letter to those reevaluating the U.S. refugee admissions program
“Private sponsorship programs like Welcome Corps have proven to be an invaluable resource for refugees and the communities that welcome them. Refugees who are privately sponsored have a much higher chance of successful integration into their new homes. With trained sponsors providing support, refugees are less isolated and better able to access the resources they need — whether it’s housing, education or employment. These programs create real bonds between refugees and the people who are helping them, and they give refugees a chance to thrive, not just survive.”
Prithvi Mulchandani (Arlington, Virginia) in Scripps News: Ukrainian refugees in limbo as Trump mulls ending protections
“Prithvi Mulchandani and his wife sponsored Tetiana and Serhii, helping them find an apartment in suburban Washington. Serhii works as a handyman and Tetiana has a job as a preschool teacher. [...] “‘They’re adding to our society,’ Mulchandani said. ‘We're not taking care of them, they’re taking care of themselves. They’re the model Americans.’”
The Wall Street Journal: They Thought They Came to the U.S. Legally. Now They’re at Risk for Deportation.
“When Ramirez first learned of the Biden administration’s program, he logged on to a website designed to link immigrants with Americans willing to sponsor them, and connected with a retired math teacher in Wisconsin.
“The two bonded. A decade earlier, Ramirez had earned a math degree from a university in Taiwan and was attempting to find work in his home country as a professor or teacher.
“His family arrived in Madison, Wis., over Memorial Day weekend. His baby started intensive treatment at a hospital and is now in remission. By the fall, Ramirez was working as a high-school math teacher in a suburb of Madison.”
Last month, Welcome.US shared another roundup of Americans sponsors speaking out and calling for common-sense solutions to protect private sponsorship programs, here.
About Welcome.US
Welcome.US is a national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans and American institutions from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here. By unleashing the power of our civil society, the compassion of the American people, and innovations in the private sector, we have transformed our national resettlement system. Americans in 12,000 zip codes and across all 50 states have raised their hands to welcome newcomers through safe, legal, and orderly pathways—providing support to newcomers and our communities to thrive together and strengthen local economies.
To learn more about Welcome.US, please visit Welcome.US.
