IRIS Working Tirelessly, Then Shot Down?

Chris George & IRIS

Imagine being Chris George. A man who has worked extremely hard to let in as many immigrants in need, to America as he can for 12 years, and for all of that work to hit a wall in 2017. According to New Haven Register, ever since President Trump got elected Chris George and his team (IRIS) has had many troubles letting immigrants into America and went from 530 immigrants in 2016 to 330 immigrants the next year.

Many people recognize Mr. George’s efforts to resettle persecuted families from Syria, Iraq and other nations in war, that the New Haven Register named Chris George the 2017 Person of the Year.

More Obstacles

According to New Haven Register, President Trump signed executive orders when he took office, that would ban nearly all refugees from entering America. Luckily, the courts tried to shut that down, but Trump was able to stop refugee arrivals for 120 days. Also he reduced the annual amount of immigrants from 110,000 to 50,000 then to 45,000 in 2018.

A quote from the New Haven Register from Chris George states, “The refugee program has resumed, but with so many new restrictions plus with a ban on 11 countries for three months, very few people are coming.”

Another reason from Chris George that proves immigrants are having a hard time to get into America is that the entire refugee resettlement infrastructure will be having funding cuts, and although IRIS can handle the challenge, but the refugees will not be saved by not bringing them to America, and with 23 million refugees worldwide in need and the small cap of 45,000 in America, IRIS is going to need a little more than luck to get past this.

The Beginning of Peace

Chris George has been involved in much charitable work, starting with the Peace Corps in 1977 that helps young people to have a job as volunteers in developing countries when it comes to economics. His work has proven that from 10 to 20 years after refugees arrived are able to contribute billions of dollars to the economy. Although he knows we also have to help the people within our own country, but he thinks we can do both help and protect Americans and immigrants by organizing groups of people to help both.

He also shows another side of immigrants, instead of just people who come into America to cause trouble, they come here to build new lives, to be Americans, our freedoms, our opportunities, and if they do get to America they would give back to the people who allowed them to get in and help the economy.