Fear and misinformation loom over refugee resettlement plans in Billings

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services has received approval from the U.S. State Department to open an office in Billings. It will be Montana’s second resettlement office, joining the International Rescue Committee in Missoula.

James Horan, the Denver-based president and CEO of Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is working to get the Billings office running by the end of the year. He expects the 115 refugees — 20 to 25 families — to arrive in small groups beginning in January.

“We’re talking about a small number. It’s not like there’s an airlift or a busload of people coming here,” Horan told the Billings City Council on Oct. 9.

Horan said the resettlement agency doesn’t yet know where the refugees will be moving from. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 52% of refugees worldwide come from Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. U.S. Department of State data shows those from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar were among the most commonly accepted into the country this year.

Welcoming newcomers

Volunteers with the nonprofit Nations to Neighbors Montana, which came together in 2021 to welcome Afghan evacuees to Billings, contacted Horan to discuss opening a local resettlement office.

The nonprofit’s coordinator, Nancy Van Maren, said the group helped two families and two men from Afghanistan settle in Billings. All of them have now successfully integrated into the community and are working.

“They did a wonderful job welcoming those families,” Horan said.

The Afghans fled their homes after Kabul fell in 2021 because they had either helped the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan or faced specific threats after American troops pulled out and left the Taliban in control, he said. Women who held jobs during the 20-year U.S. occupation were also among those who became targets under the Islamic fundamentalist group's regime.

Reuniting families

Two of the Afghan allies Van Maren worked with were flown out of their home country during the chaos. When they landed abroad, their phones were confiscated so they couldn’t contact their loved ones left behind, she said. They’re both still working to reunite with their families.

Van Maren said Nations to Neighbors is funded through private donations. It is supported by eight local churches and has more than 70 volunteers.

“To me, the welcoming of refugees is not a political issue — it’s a Biblical issue,” she said.

To be, or not to be a refugee

The six adults and 10 children who resettled in Billings were not refugees. Van Maren said they came under a temporary humanitarian parole status, due to the speed of the chaotic and deadly, two-week American withdrawal during which more than 120,000 people were evacuated. Humanitarian parolees have a limited time, typically one year, before they must apply for asylum.

Both refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing war, violence or persecution. However, refugees have been legally approved for protection prior to arrival in their destination country, while asylum seekers must request help at a port of entry or after crossing a border.

Others, migrants and immigrants, are leaving their homes looking for economic and educational opportunities. Migrants are those who move from place to place, often for seasonal work. Immigrants, however, are those who want to live permanently in another country.

Being approved for refugee status involves a complex and thorough process often taking years to complete, Horan said. It involves six background checks, in-person interviews and medical examinations before entry into the U.S. They are the most highly vetted of all immigrants, he said.

Moving to Montana

Each refugee approved to come to America is sponsored by one of 10 nonprofit resettlement agencies that work with the U.S. Department of State. Among them are Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and the International Refugee Committee, which first opened an office in Missoula in 1979. 

An admissions report from the U.S. Department of State processing center shows 51,231 refugees have come into the country this year. Of those, 124 refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo resettled in Montana.

Last year, 25,465 refugees came to America, including 47 who moved to Montana. In 2021, 44 of the 11,411 refugees who were admitted nationwide resettled in the state.

Those selected for resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program are eligible for reception and placement assistance for the first three months after their arrival.

Refugees pay their way

Horan said there are many misconceptions about refugees and the help they receive. Many people are surprised to learn they’re required to pay back certain costs related to their relocation, including their airfare to the U.S.

People often assume refugees on long-term public assistance, when the vast majority get jobs quickly so they can support themselves, Horan said. On average, they're  employed within 90 days of arrival.

“That shows just how motivated refugees are,” he said.

Van Maren said one of the Afghans she worked with had a job before he landed in Billings.

She and Horan have already heard from multiple Billings employers who are interested in hiring the coming refugees.

The housing crux

It’s true that Billings has a shortage of affordable housing, said Mayor Bill Cole. But, more than 1,200 people are moving to the city every year, so the 115 refugees represent roughly one month of the influx.

“It does make the situation worse, but by a relatively small number,” he said.

Refugees don’t receive public housing assistance, Horan said. They typically rent from a private landlord, paying market rate until they can afford to buy a home of their own.

“Refugees are very much pursuing the American dream in that sense,” he said.

Refugees and other immigrants are also more likely than those born in the U.S. to open small businesses, Horan said.

The melting pot

With the exception of Native Americans, Cole said, every family in this country came from somewhere else. So it makes sense to support those who follow the rules and enter lawfully, especially for anyone who wants to curb illegal immigration, he said.

“We want Billings to be a friendly and welcoming community,” the mayor said.

Cole hears concerns about public safety but said the crime rate for refugees and other legal immigrants is very low. Some have questioned the security of the vetting process, pointing to a 2021 case in which one Afghan refugee was accused of raping a woman in Missoula.

Zabihullah Mohmand, then 19, initially faced a felony charge for sexual intercourse without consent. It was later amended to misdemeanor sexual assault.

During the same year, statewide statistics from the Montana Board of Crime Control recorded 636 rapes, not including other sexual offenses.

A study by the Cato Institute, a think tank promoting libertarian public policy based in Washington, D.C., found both legal and undocumented immigrants are significantly less likely than native-born Americans to be arrested or convicted for most crimes.

English and local ways

Another common misconception about refugees is that they don’t bother to learn English or try to integrate into the local community, Horan said. However, most refugees he works with are motivated to speak the language because they hope to become U.S. citizens. Refugees can apply for permanent residence in the U.S. one year after their arrival, and apply for citizenship four years after that.

Like their parents, most refugee children are highly motivated to learn English and succeed in America, Horan said. Of those enrolled in school, he said, 91% percent show academic improvement and almost all are promoted to the next grade.

A new school for refugees

Billings School District 2 is considering a plan to accommodate the additional students by creating a charter school for newcomers at Lincoln Center. If approved, a charter would funnel more money into the district without adding to overcrowding issues at Billings schools.

Superintendent Erwin Garcia said the refugees would be given specialized instruction, focusing on improving their English language skills, integrating into American culture and helping them become positive, contributing members of society.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Garcia emigrated to the U.S. from Colombia and became a citizen in 2010. He’s spent his career working in public education, coming to Billings from Houston with a record of improving schools and increasing achievement by helping students overcome challenges.

Billings charter schools

Earlier this month, Garcia presented the option during a planning and development committee meeting for the district to apply to create three charter schools that would serve students who could benefit from nontraditional, specialized instruction. They include newcomers, those pursuing college early and students facing challenges outside the classroom, such as homelessness, living with foster families, pregnancy or parenthood. If approved, each charter would bring $400,000 into the district annually for five years.

The school board is expected to consider the proposal during its meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. If the nine-member board decides to move forward, the district will have until Nov. 1 to submit the charter school applications to the state.

Neighbors knowing neighbors

Horan is now working on finding a location for the Billings office and plans to hire two or three people this year to help staff it. They will provide case management and help the refugees with a variety of tasks, such as getting a job, finding a place to live, arranging for medical care, applying for new documents, signing up for English language classes and enrolling their children in school.

Horan said there’s always debate in the community when his agency is opening a new resettlement office, but over time their work tends to gain broad support.

“It comes down to people getting to know people,” he said.