♪♪ >> Eric: IN JANUARY PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER EFFECTIVELY SUSPENDING THE U.S.

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

REFUGEES WHO HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR ENTRY ARE NOW IN LIMBO.

MINNESOTA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, ONE ORGANIZATION DOING THAT WORK AROUND THE STATE IS THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MINNESOTA.

AND WE'RE JOINED BY MICAELA SCHUNEMAN.

HOW DID I DO?

>> VERY WELL, THANKS.

>> Eric: WORKS AS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES THERE.

THANKS FOR COMING.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A REFUGEE AND JUST A PERSON THAT IS CROSSING THE BORDER IN EAGLE PASS, TEXAS, TO OPEN A RESTAURANT OR WHATEVER.

>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

REFUGEES ARRIVE WHEN THEY ARE RESETTLED BY THE UNITED STATES REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

THEY ARRIVE WITH THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF REFUGEES.

SO THEY ARE ENTERING THE UNITED STATES WITH A VALID IMMIGRATION STATUS AND THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT UPON ARRIVAL.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN EMPLOYMENT CARD.

THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO START WORKING IN THE UNITED STATES.

>> Cathy: AND THESE FOLKS ARE FLEEING UNREST, FAMINE, REALLY HORRIBLE THINGS, RIGHT?

>> YES, IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE STATUS OF REFUGEE YOU HAVE TO BE IN FEAR OF PERSECUTION BASED ON RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, POLITICAL # OPINION, OR MEMBERSHIP IN A PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUP.

SO IT'S A VERY NARROW LEGAL CATEGORY.

>> Eric: SO WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST THING FOR YOU TO KIND OF NAVIGATE RIGHT NOW WITH THE UNCERTAINTY THAT'S GOING ON?

>> YEAH, AND UNCERTAINTY IS THE WORD I WOULD SAY.

THE PROGRAM'S BEEN SUSPENDED.

THE EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS ISSUED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP ON JANUARY 20TH, ON JANUARY 21ST ALL FLIGHTS WERE STOPPED, SO EVERY FLIGHT WE HAD SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE WAS CANCELED STARTING ON OUR FIRST FLIGHT WAS JANUARYT MAYBE THAT GROUP WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENTER BUT THEY WEREN'T, THEY WERE CANCELED.

AND SO WE ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

THE EXECUTIVE ORDER SUSPENDED REFUGEE ARRIVALS FOR 90 DAYS.

SO IN APRIL WE WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE MORE INFORMATION BUT THE ORDER DID SAY THE PROGRAM WOULD BE REEVALUATED EVERY 90 DAYS SO WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF ADMISSIONS WILL CONTINUE AFTER APRIL OR IF THERE WILL BE ANOTHER HOLD.

>> Cathy: SO WHERE ARE THESE FOLKS RIGHT NOW?

WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE HERE?

>> YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WHEN REFUGEES ARE SCHEDULED TO TRAVEL THEY OFTEN GIVE UP THEIR PLACE IN REFUGEE CAMPS, THEY GIVE AWAY ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS AND MOVE IT FROM A CAMP TO A CITY WHERE THEY'LL BE TRAVELING AND SO PEOPLE HAVE TO GO BACK BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR POSSESSIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE A SPACE ANYMORE.

THEY'RE BACK IN REFUGEE CAMPS OR IF THEY WERE LIVING IN A CITY THEY GO BACK TO THAT CITY AND WAIT FOR AN UNCERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, WE DON'T STOW WHEN PEOPLE WILL BE RESCHEDULED TO COME.

>> Eric: WHAT KIND OF NUMBERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED RIGHT NOW?

>> SO OUR OFFICE WAS EXPECTING TO RESETTLE ABOUT 800 PEOPLE THIS YEAR.

, WHAT COUNTRIES MAINLY?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP.

WE HAD EXPECTED ARRIVALS THIS YEAR FROM SOMALIA, FROM BURMA, FROM AFGHANISTAN, VENEZUELA, AND OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES.

THAT'S A NEWER POPULATION COMING THROUGH THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.

SO ALL OF THOSE CASES ARE ON HOLD.

AND SO PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO BE RESCHEDULED BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> Cathy: 800 DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A VERY BIG NUMBER TO ME.

IS THAT NUMBER -- PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT.

>> YES, THAT IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER FOR US.

YES, LAST YEAR WE RESETTLED OVER 600 PEOPLE SO GOING FROM 600 TO 800 WAS A BIG JUMP FOR US.

MINNESOTA WAS EXPECTING ABOUT 3,000 ARRIVALS TOTAL THIS YEAR.

AND SO OUR OFFICE HAD RESETTLED 244 PEOPLE BEFORE THE PROGRAM WAS SUSPENDED.

SO WE'RE THINKING AT LEAST 500 PEOPLE THAT WE HAD EXPECTED TO COME ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME.

>> Cathy: WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY HERE BUT I'M WONDERING WITH THE FROZEN FUNDING AND EVERYTHING PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW CAN THEY HELP, IS THERE SOMETHING THE PUBLIC CAN DO AT THIS POINT OR NOT?

IS >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS BOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED WAS NOT ONLY WAS THE RESETTLEMENT STOPPED FOR NEW ARRIVALS BUT THE FUNDING WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO USE ANY FEDERAL FUNDS TO SERVE REFUGEES WHO WERE ALREADY HERE.

AND SO THAT WAS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE HAD 183 PEOPLE WHO HAD JUST RECENTLY ARRIVED.

THEY ARE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF ARRIVAL.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THEM BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO -- WE FELT LIKE WE HAD MADE A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH THEM, OF COURSE, THROUGH THOSE 90 DAYS SO WE ARE FUND-RAISING TO TRY TO RAISE AS MANY FUNDS AS POSSIBLE TO REPLACE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN STILL PAY RENT, BUY GROCERIES, SUPPORT THOSE CLIENTS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

>> Eric: KEEP US POSTED, WILL