Luke Glaze worried when he saw federal actions in Minnesota involving refugees.

The federal government in January launched an immigration enforcement operation to reevaluate the status of around 5,600 refugees living in Minnesota. Federal officials ultimately detained dozens of people, flying them to detention facilities in Texas, where they were questioned for days. Those released had no ticket back home.

Glaze is executive director of Salem for Refugees, which works to resettle and support refugees moving to Salem. Those actions a half a country away prompted concerns for future enforcement actions against 15,000 people in Oregon who fall into the targeted group of those who arrived during the Biden administration, and haven’t yet obtained a green card through a legal process that the Trump administration suspended.

It was the latest in a series of federal policy changes, enforcement operations and resource restrictions which has shaken Salem’s refugee community in recent months. As a result, Glaze pivoted his nonprofit operations from resettlement efforts to support, education and protection for those who are here.

When a federal judge put a stop to the Minnesota detainment operation with a temporary restraining order, Glaze hoped it would bring reprieve for the 2,000 people his organization serves. They all came to the U.S. through a legal process open to those fleeing danger and persecution in their home countries.

“We thought that was kind of good news, and a sign that maybe (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) would have to change their tactics, maybe just move to a standard interview to re-vet refugees rather than having detention as part of that process,” Glaze said of the judge’s order.

Then, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, came a memo from the Department of Homeland Security stating that all refugees applying for green cards must return to federal custody a year after arrival into the U.S. The memo said they would be detained indefinitely while being re-vetted, due to concerns for national security and the economy.

“It seems to be that they’re doubling down on this kind of tactic, which is really concerning, because obviously it creates a lot of additional trauma on families that have already experienced a lot of trauma,” Glaze said. 

The families in Salem came from Ukraine, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Venezuela and El Salvador.

On Thursday, Salem for Refugees joined the five other resettlement agencies in the state in urging Oregon’s Congressional delegation, Gov. Tina Kotek and state legislators to condemn the DHS memo.

“Refugees are lawful community members, workers, parents, and students. Policies that create fear, strip basic supports, and expose families to detention, undermine Oregon’s values and destabilize entire communities,” the joint statement said.

The refugee agencies also repeated their ask for $3.5 million from the Oregon Legislature to mitigate the impact of damaging federal policy shifts.

READ IT: Resettlement agencies statement

Glaze said, for a refugee, being detained can mean being taken out of state and away from families and jobs. Often, they are subsequently released because refugees already have gone through “the most rigorous vetting process of any immigrant class to the United States.”

The process of entering the U.S. as a refugee often takes years, he said, and includes interviews at several government agencies, biometrics and medical screenings.

Glaze isn’t aware of any Oregon refugee being detained by ICE, but he said word of policy changes and reports of officers’ presence and arrests in Salem has them living in fear.

He said that an arrest of a refugee in another state can have a profound impact on those living in Salem, due to a tight-knit social media community among those who have moved from the same country.

Since forming as a group out Salem Alliance Church in 2016, and through its transformation into a nonprofit and accredited resettlement agency in 2021, Salem for Refugees’ main focus has been to help hundreds of people get acquainted with Salem and find work, housing and community.

Last January, the Trump administration paused all refugee admissions, which means some households have been separated by an ocean for months and indefinitely. That announcement came just a month after a Sudanese woman living in Woodburn wept with joy after Glaze told her she’d see her husband again after six years apart. She was then informed their immigration proceeding was on hold. 

Glaze said the pause is still in effect, and the federal government is allowing the fewest amount of people in history to enter the country as refugees. Entries are largely restricted to Afrikaners, a white minority ethnic group in South Africa who oversaw the country’s apartheid system, and are applying to the U.S. under claims of discrimination.

Limited entries means Salem for Refugees has had to pivot from resettlement efforts toward supporting those already living in the community.

“How do we continue to help the existing refugee community strengthen and grow so that it is as strong and healthy as possible for when the pendulum swings and we can resettle again?” Glaze said.

One change has been addressing the impact of changes to food benefits. Many refugees were cut off in November from receiving SNAP assistance for groceries, due to federal policy changes. That represents over $13 million of food assistance in Oregon, according to the refugee agencies’ statement.

Salem for Refugees has been coordinating with local food pantries and helping distribute food throughout Salem. Glaze said one event, in partnership with Feed Salem, drew over 50 households in a single day.

Despite all the challenges the community has faced in the past year, and the fear of what’s to come, Glaze said he’s seen some beauty amid the hardship.

“We see what makes refugees who they are, which is this incredible resilience. Who, despite all these challenges and roadblocks, continue to make a go at life here in the U.S.,” Glaze said. “Some of them have started businesses in the last few months. Some of them have graduated high school and are pursuing college, and their careers and goals.”

He said that they’ve seen a positive response from Oregon’s policymakers in response to their request for support, but has also heard concerns about the state’s tight budget.

Glaze hopes to see Oregon’s refugees included in discussions on how to protect immigrants at the legislative level.

“Oregon has always prided itself in being a welcoming state to refugees and immigrants,” Glaze said. “ We really want to call the legislature to invest in each of those areas, knowing that really, by protecting these Oregonians, it’s ultimately also a benefit to the state. Because these are Oregonians who are working, who or paying taxes, who are starting businesses, who are really kind of the hope for the next generation. And if we set them back, if we bring trauma into their lives, if we just impact their economic livelihoods, we’re just setting ourselves back as a state.”

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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Abbey McDonald

Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.