Trauma Revisited: Refugee Detentions Stoke Fear
“Being a refugee is not a privilege … Nobody wants to be a refugee,” says Edward Mosantu.
He speaks from experience. In 1997, Edward fled violence and instability in DR Congo, seeking safety and stability as a refugee in South Africa before moving to the U.S. on the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program. Today, he works as a community ambassador with World Relief in Chicago, connecting refugees and other immigrants to resources, and as a leader of the Congolese community in the area. The leader, he explains, is an elected father figure in the community whom members approach with their fears and troubles.
And at the moment, the fear is palpable.
Refugees in Chicago and in other parts of the country fear the escalation in immigration activities that has gripped Minnesota —- an escalation that has targeted lawfully present refugees.
