Re-settling refugees in Yonkers for over 10 years
Over the years, Rivertowns for Refugees has helped resettle many refugee families in Yonkers. These are all people who have been vetted and have full legal status as refugees. The State Department hands them off to a handful of authorized resettlement agencies including Catholic Charities, HIAS, and the International Rescue Committee. Those organizations then find community organizations like ours who do the work of getting the families settled and set up for success. It’s a long list of things, from securing a suitable but affordable apartment, furnishing and supplying it, meeting the family at the airport, finding doctors and dentists, obtaining health insurance, subsidizing rent and food for a period, enrolling children in school and camp, teaching ESL, giving driving lessons, taking people to appointments, helping them apply for jobs, and helping establish social connections. In addition to our own efforts, we rely on a network of other local non-profits who assist in a variety of ways
Thanks to our efforts and their tenacity, most of our refugees are independent well within a year. This is not surprising because fleeing your home and getting through the process requires extraordinary fortitude and initiative. We see kids arrive with zero English and in a few years, they are applying to medical school. They are inspiring.
UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, estimates that as of mid-2025 there are about 44 million refugees worldwide. That’s more than the population of California and more than twice the population of New York State. And with the increase in violent conflict and the devastation caused by climate change, the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes has more than tripled since 2011.
Many of the refugees who have entered the United States came in through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which is managed by the State Department. The process of applying to become a refugee in our country is long and thorough. The vetting, which usually starts by applying at a U.S. embassy in a different country, can take years. And there is no guarantee of success. The Federal government sets the number of refugees the U.S. will accept each year, and while we have been far less accepting of refugees than many other countries, over 100,000 were admitted in 2024, the highest number in two decades.
However, in January of 2025 President Trump issued an executive order indefinitely suspending USRAP. And then in July the One Big Beautiful Bill act eliminated access to federal benefits for refugees, including food and healthcare assistance needed to get them on their feet. Furthermore, the current administration has set a cap of 7,500 refugees for 2026, with most spots going to white South Africans. In time, one hopes, our country will return to its founding principles, honor the words on the Statue of Liberty, and begin accepting more refugees.
For now, refugee admissions have slowed to a trickle although a few of our ex-military colleagues in Afghanistan have been able to get through, thanks largely to private nonprofits. In time the pendulum will swing back, and we will again be able to help others from the many other devastated countries around the world.
All of us who work in this area, mostly as volunteers like me, know this is important work. On a personal and spiritual level, to be able to provide vital help to people who have endured circumstances one can hardly imagine, is extremely gratifying. It also seems obvious to us that immigration continues to make our country stronger and more innovative. And finally, the refugee problem is not going away. Somehow, the wealthier nations of the world need to help address the situation, or expect greater chaos, violence, and suffering.
If you are interested in participating in this unglamorous but gratifying work, or just want to contribute, please visit our website, www.rivertownsforrefugees.org. Elliot Scott is a board member of Rivertowns for Refugees and lives in Northwest Yonkers.
