How Every College Campus can save a Family
Throughout my research journey in Washington DC, I am fortunate to be connected with an interview opportunity with Kathleen Herbst, who is the program coordinator of the NPO ECAR — Every Campus A Refuge.
I asked Kathleen many questions about the purpose and mission ECAR is focused on, and along with those questions, she raised a very important aspect about US immigration policy.
About ECAR
ECAR was originally founded in Guildford College in North Carolina. The founder, Diya Abdo, is a child of refugees herself; and she was set on a mission to provide the link between American academic institutions and the refugee crisis. Diya also just gave a TED talk at Wake Forest University about the topic of Revision the University Campus which you can find here.
One of the main difficulties of the refugee crisis is the dollar sign. Money has always been an issue in saving people. Questions like: Who is going to sponsor the family? How are they going to live in an inflated society such as the US with no proper education?
Every Campus A Refuge is just like what the name sounded. The idea of ECAR is “If every campus in the United States hosted one refugee family, this could mean quick, easy, and inexpensive temporary resettlement of thousands of refugees”.
The United States is one of the most educated countries and with the most prestigious education institutions. I’m speaking as a Babson College student, by just the same neighborhood, we have at least 3 other college campuses. Not to mention that other famous institutions are just minutes away. On each and every one of those campuses, there are thousands of student housing, dormitories, and suites. If all of our campuses in Boston can host just 1 refugee family, then we already saved 35 families.
Interview with Kathleen Herbst
Q: How did ECAR start and what exactly does ECAR do?
A: So, ECAR started as a campus intuitive in Guilford College, and later on it started chapters on other campuses. We mostly work with resettlement agencies and evacuees who as already received immigrant status from the government to help them settle in. (The term “evacuees” is used to talk about refugees) We pair with families from the government and host them for about 3 to 6 months, we provide everything they need such as food, rent, supplies, etc. And offer them more things than the government requires.
For example, according to the government official requirement, they are only providing one spoon to each refugee family, and our job is to provide more necessities than the government requires to support the refugee families, and in this case providing more than 1 spoon to a family. We try to create a “softer landing” for refugees.
Q: What do you think about the US immigration policies?
A: Right now, one of the most important subjects is the discussion between having a public sponsor versus having a private sponsor. I think for the current US immigration process the waiting time is too long for immigrants to apply, and since the US resettlement program is a general sponsor program it’s different from a private sponsor, such as Canada. In Canada, it is privately funded and any smaller parties can sponsor the resettlement.
Diya was just at the conference at the UN headquarters to discuss how private sponsorships can be adaptable in the US and the possibility of US implementation.
In August 2021, the United States does not have the capacity for the significant Afghanistan population trying to come in and resettle. Currently, with the war in Ukraine, there is not enough capacity for the US to support so many immigrant populations, in addition to other ongoing issues, it’s been an ongoing project to find a more sustainable model. The process of implementing changes is arduous because of various legal reasons.
Q: What do you see as the biggest problem in immigration policies?
A: Funding is a big problem, and the funding for immigration is a lot lower than military. We are hosting 81 refugees right now as compared to the start of the pandemic we were hosting around 40. If the US announces a private sponsor, ECAR can provide refugee support but still cannot grant status.
Q: What can students do to help?
A: Well, I would say that if anyone wants to help out, we always appreciate volunteers, being a part of the welcome team for refugee families settling in. Or to start a chapter of ECAR in their university. It is really up to getting involved that aligns with their interest, there are many organizations helping towards the same cause and many ways to get involved and help out.
