Cleveland leaders prepping for immigration wave
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Local nonprofits are bracing for what could be 1,400 or more arrivals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela in the coming year, on top of a continuing flood of refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere, which will strain local service providers.
Driving the news: The Biden administration last month lifted Title 42, a Trump-era policy that barred hundreds of thousands of immigrants from entering the U.S. to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
What they're saying: "What's coming is a tsunami," Max Rodas, director of the Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, said last week at a meeting of more than 30 local political and nonprofit leaders.
State of play: Cleveland councilwoman Jasmin Santana convened the meeting to coordinate a comprehensive, citywide response.
By the numbers: From late 2021 through 2022, Cleveland welcomed roughly 800 refugees from Afghanistan and more than 4,000 from Ukraine.
- That was a dramatic increase from the previous decade, when total new arrivals annually were generally well below 1,000.
Threat level: Santana, City Council's only Latina member, said she receives calls daily about new immigrants seeking housing, employment and other services, well beyond her personal capacity.
- “This is a call to action," she said. "I hope this is the beginning of something huge and impactful. We know the need is great and the resources are limited."
💭 Sam's thought bubble: The meeting served foremost as an introduction for the area's nonprofits working in the space, from federally funded resettlement agencies to social service providers who work with refugees.
- The clout was undeniable. County executive Chris Ronayne, five members of Cleveland City Council, senior members of Justin Bibb's administration and more than a dozen nonprofit executive directors attended.
What's next: Ronayne committed to working with the gathered leaders to launch an office of international services within the county government, which he pledged on the campaign trail last year.