Georgia has big role for refugees

Some Latin American and Caribbean migrants currently living in Mexico will be able to enter the U.S. through the refugee resettlement process, the White House announced late last month.

Part of the Biden administration’s broader campaign to reduce illegal border crossings, the move could bring a migrant influx in Georgia, given the state’s role helping to welcome refugees. Over the last 10 years, roughly 17,200 refugees resettled in Georgia, more than in all but six other states, according to State Department data compiled by the Immigration Research Initiative, a nonpartisan think tank.

Most Georgia refugees settle in Atlanta, a leading metro area for refugee placements nationwide, with many being drawn to the refugee haven of Clarkston in DeKalb County.

Refugees have a path to U.S. citizenship, and they are eligible for government benefits not available to other migrants.

Local refugee resettlement agencies said they support the administration’s move to process migrants for U.S. refugee status in Mexico, expressing confidence in their ability to manage an uptick in arrivals.

“So long as we have the appropriate funding and time to expand capacity, there won’t be any issues,” said Ashley Coleman, spokeswoman for Inspiritus, an Atlanta-based resettlement agency.

Little is known about when the new refugee initiative would be operational, or how many migrants could benefit from it. The State Department, which is responsible for overseeing the U.S. refugee resettlement program, did not share additional information with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

As detailed in the White House’s announcement on July 28, the Mexican government will set up an “international multipurpose space” in southern Mexico where migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela will be vetted for refugee status. That would mark the first time the U.S. has carried out refugee processing on a large scale in Mexico, according to a report from CBS News.

Citizens from those four nations have accounted for the bulk of illegal crossings in recent years.

For months, they have also been able to lawfully — but temporarily — enter the U.S. through a new sponsorship program.

The new refugee initiative is in line with the Biden administration strategy of opening targeted legal pathways for migrants to enter the U.S., all while cracking down on illegal border crossings and restricting access to asylum.