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Doing the right thing isn’t always easy.
The International Institute decided last month to forego federal funding rather than abide by resettlement policies that run counter to the group’s 110-year mission of welcoming new immigrants to our community.
This difficult decision came after 18 months of extreme changes to the nation’s refugee resettlement program since President Donald Trump returned to office for a second term.
"These changes included the suspension of refugee resettlement and family reunification beginning in January 2025, increasing uncertainty surrounding immigration legal services, the elimination of supports for many refugee and immigrant families, including SNAP benefits and upcoming changes affecting Medicaid/Medicare eligibility, and growing housing and food insecurity as those supports disappeared," Liv Randall, a spokeswoman for the institute, told the Beacon Journal.
Local resettlements had effectively stopped even before the International Institute made its recent stand.
This year, the International Institute of Akron has resettled just one family of five who arrived on special immigrant visas.
In 2024, before the start of Trump’s second term, the institute resettled 247 refugees, according to the agency's most recently available Form 990 nonprofit tax filing.
The Trump administration has capped the number of refugees allowed in the United States this year at 7,500 and promised most of the slots to White South Africans. The nonprofit National Immigration Forum notes White South Africans aren't designated as a group warranting refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The International Institute should be applauded for its decision to put its mission – and the vulnerable people it serves – ahead of the political whims of the day.
The organization deserves our support.
And thankfully, the Greater Akron community is stepping up to make sure the International Institute can continue to help the region’s newest residents.
Within days after announcing its decision to decline federal funds, the International Institute received 360 donations totaling $43,000 from supporters.
The agency has set a fundraising goal of $250,000 per year.
Though the International Institute won’t be resettling refugees for the foreseeable future, the organization continues to provide much-needed services to the region’s immigrant populations.
The nonprofit is continuing to offer English as a Second Language courses, health care navigation services and employment assistance, among other programs. It is expanding its mission to offer addiction prevention and education programming for refugee communities.
The agency also stands ready to assist if ever-changing federal policies threaten the support systems that refugees deserve and need.
We encourage everyone to support the International Institute, whether it’s by donating at https://iiakron.charityproud.org/Donate or by sharing personal testimonies on your social media or within the community.
We are a nation of immigrants.
Until our national leaders remember this, it’s up to us to help our refugee neighbors thrive.
This piece was written by Akron Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell on behalf of the editorial board of the Beacon Journal. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting.