I am a social worker from Albany, NY, and over the past several years, hundreds of refugees from Burma have been resettled in my small city. Mostly from hill tribes, these brave people escaped the brutality and genocide of Burma's military regime only to spend up to 20 years waiting to come to America. Today the Obama administration has announced that it will discontinue the program, stranding tens of thousands of people in the permanent hell of the refugee camps in western Thailand. We ask that the Obama administration rescind its decision.
Far from being a burden on my city, they have revitalized it both culturally and economically. They have breathed new life into neighborhoods, started small businesses, and inspired us with their hard work and kindness.