Lawmaker urges suspending Arizona refugee program; coalition denounces Trump orders

Even before President Donald Trump issued his executive order suspending the country's refugee program for four months, Arizona lawmakers were at work on a similar measure.

Senate Bill 1468 would suspend Arizona's participation in the refugee resettlement program indefinitely and impose a fine of $1,000 a day per refugee on any charity or other group that provides services to refugees.

Since Trump's action, community groups have organized rallies at airports in Phoenix and across the nation to show support for refugees and immigrants.

In fiscal year 2016, 4,110 refugees were resettled in Arizona, placing the Southwest state sixth among the top 10 states to receive the largest number of refugees during that period, according to the Pew Research Center.

Volunteers and leaders of charity organizations, as well as faith leaders, that help refugees in Arizona say they are prepared to fight federal and local actions that unduly harm the families they serve. Many refugees who have resettled in Arizona after fleeing their countries because of war, persecution or violence also are denouncing to Trump's orders affecting migrants and refugees.

But those who support greater limitations on the flux of refugees into the U.S. have lauded Trump's actions and some have called for changes in state laws.

Lawmaker: We 'need to think about where we're going'

Sen. Judy Burges, R-Sun City, and the Arizona bill's sponsor, said it's well past time for a discussion about the financial and security implications of the state accepting refugees.

She emphasized the intent of the bill is to spark a discussion, saying she doubts it has much chance of becoming law. It has yet to be assigned to a committee for public discussion, and fellow lawmakers are wary of it. Some already were receiving phone calls from constituents objecting to the bill.

"We need to discuss that we have so many needs in our country," Burges said. "But you can't help people if you're not strong yourself."

Sen. Steve Farley is active with a group that supports refugees in Tucson, staging events and dinners to extend a welcome to them. He brought a Syrian refugee as his guest during the Legislature's opening day.

"This is really an awful thing to do to a human being, period," the Tucson Democrat said. Bills such as this deepen the fear refugees already feel and further alienate them from U.S. society, he said.

Burges said the intent is not to send a hateful message, but to get a grip on the ramifications of refugee resettlement in Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security's Refugee Resettlement Program administers the federal dollars provided for refugees; no state funds are involved. The bill would require the state to evaluate the program and determine its costs and security implications. It would remain suspended until the Legislature passes a bill to re-enter it or end participation.

Trump's order should not be an excuse to ignore her bill, Burges said.

"We really need to think about where we're going," she said.

Gov. Doug Ducey, in the wake of the Paris terrorist bombings in November 2015, called for a total ban on refugee resettlement in Arizona. His office did not return a call Thursday seeking his thoughts about Burges' bill, which echoes the same intent, at least for a period of time.

Coalition denounces Trump order

On Thursday, clergy from various faith organizations and volunteers with metro Phoenix refugee resettlement agencies joined a coalition of about 75 people for a press conference to denounce Trump's orders affecting refugees.

They held homemade signs: "Patriotism is welcoming the stranger." "Refugees Welcome." "Love thy neighbor." "Our families were refugees once, too."

Refugees from Uganda, Iraq and Bosnia spoke on behalf of their communities.

Maryam Melah, 27, escaped war in her home country of Iraq, fleeing first to Jordan. She said her family was given the choice of moving to other countries, but her father chose America because if its democratic values and ideals.

Melah was 10 when her family arrived in Arizona. She said rhetoric over refugees and immigrants fails to recognize the contributions these communities make to America's economy and democracy.

"Coming as a refugee to the U.S., people don't take that for granted because they have seen worse," she said. "They want to give back."

Melah and fellow refugee Salama Lupandu, who said she came to Arizona in 2015 from Uganda, described the years-long vetting procedures they endured before being accepted into the U.S.

"The vetting process is extreme, and you never know if you're going (to get in) or not," Melah said.

Lupandu said she fears her green-card application will be denied amid the current political climate. She looked down at her hands and closed her eyes when she spoke about the refugees in Uganda waiting to come to the U.S.

"What will happen to them?" she said, crying. "Where will they go?"

Lupandu said she hasn't been able to bring herself to check on refugees she knows who are awaiting resettlement.

"I'm afraid to call, I'm afraid to find out some of them died," she said.

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