Refugee Realities: Between National Challenges and Local Responsibilities in Houston, TX

This report examines the U.S. refugee resettlement program and contextualizes legislation that forces employment within days of arrival at the cost of future prosperity. It explores the consequences of such a resettlement system on families, and questions the implications of a program that lacks long-term perspective. The report begins by juxtaposing public discourse on the impact of refugees with data that was available in its earliest foundations and moves on to discuss the ecosystem in Houston, Texas. More specifically, it looks closely into the last 37 years of government policy and diminishing support for refugees.