FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 16^th, 2024

JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE COLUMBUS COUNCIL ON WORLD AFFAIRS (CCWA) AND COMMUNITY REFUGEE & IMMIGRATION SERVICES (CRIS)

From Challenge to Contribution: How Immigrants Help Drive Economic Prosperity

Until late 2023, Wadley and Rebecca lived a peaceful life in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Wadley, a senior operations officer at a bank, and Rebecca, a medical professional specializing in otolaryngology, had built a stable life for themselves and their three children. Rebecca even opened a community clinic to provide life-saving healthcare, and Wadley, inspired by her work, shifted his career to neurodevelopmental care, helping children with intellectual disabilities.

However, everything changed when violent gangs laid siege to their neighborhood. One terrifying night, they woke to the sound of gunfire as armed groups approached their home. Fearing for their lives and their children’s safety, Wadley and Rebecca fled, leaving behind everything they had built. After two months with relatives and securing humanitarian parole status, they arrived in Columbus in January 2024.

Their transition to life in the U.S. was not easy. Arriving unprepared for the cold winter, they faced challenges navigating U.S. systems like education, healthcare, and transportation. Despite these hurdles, Wadley and Rebecca have begun to rebuild. Both have completed certification training in phlebotomy and are preparing to start new jobs at local hospitals. Despite the difficulties, they remain committed to serving their new community, volunteering with the American Red Cross and working as healthcare professionals.

Their story is one of perseverance, hope, and resilience, like so many immigrant stories. “We did not come to the United States to seek help. We want to build a new life and contribute to this society,” Wadley says. While they still miss their homeland, they are grateful for the peace and security they’ve found in the U.S., and they look forward to raising their children in safety.

Wadley and Rebecca’s journey reflects a broader truth: immigrants are not just beneficiaries of opportunity—they are contributors, builders, and dreamers. Across the nation, immigrant groups are integral to the economic and cultural growth of communities. Immigrants account for nearly 25% of new employers and are 30% more likely to start a business than U.S.-born citizens. Immigrant entrepreneurs create 49% more jobs per capita than native-born citizens, and 16% of U.S. inventors are immigrants, contributing 23% of all new inventions. In Franklin County alone, refugees are twice as likely to own businesses compared to the general

population, playing a crucial role in supporting new arrivals and strengthening local economies.

Unfortunately, harmful disinformation continues to be spread about people lawfully here under humanitarian programs, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Humanitarian Parole (HP). Beneficiaries of these types of programs, like Wadley and Rebecca, are permitted by law to live and work legally in the U.S.  These programs are not only important to the individual’s seeking safety but also to the local communities that rely on their contributions as workers, tax payers and neighbors. Suggesting a revocation of TPS and calling for mass deportation ignores the fact that such actions would severely harm companies that hire immigrant workers, exacerbating labor shortages and weakening local economies.  It also creates a sense of instability in an already vulnerable community that should instead be treated with dignity. 

In this moment, we have a choice. We can either perpetuate harmful myths and foster division, or we can come together to support one another and build a stronger, more inclusive community. Let us choose the latter. Let us reject the dehumanizing rhetoric that has no place in Springfield, Ohio or anywhere in our communities and instead honor the welcoming spirit that has defined our nation for generations. Immigrants, like Wadley and Rebecca, contribute to the innovation and vitality that drive our society forward.

Signed:

Patrick Terrien                                                   

CEO & President                                            

Columbus Council on World Affairs

Angie Plummer

Executive Director

Community Refugee and Immigration Services