Refugee resettlement in the United States has always depended on strong partnerships between international organizations, various U.S. Government agencies, and a whole host of faith-based organizations, NGOs, and community actors. In fact, refugee resettlement to the United States didn’t start through a formal government program. Rather it was primarily the work of concerned citizens who took it upon themselves to assist individuals fleeing fascist governments in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Today, successful resettlement still depends heavily on community members who tutor children from a refugee background, churches that donate used furniture and support families after they first arrive, local employers who accommodate language differences for refugee hires, and grass-roots organizations that help refugees feel welcome by organizing soccer teams and neighborhood potlucks.

There are an estimated 65.5 million individuals in the world who have been forcibly displaced because of conflict, violence, or human rights violations. In order for an individual to come to the United State through the refugee admissions program, they must first register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and pass the UN screening process in order to receive official refugee status. In some countries, this process is handled directly by a national government agency rather than UNHCR. A small subset of refugees is then referred to the United States for resettlement – this group is selected to match U.S. government priorities (family reunification, regional pledges, support for individuals who assisted U.S. military personnel overseas).

The U.S. government typically contracts a 3rd party to assist with this screening process – in many cases, the International Organization for Migration. This agency reviews information provided by UNHCR (fingerprints, iris scans, biographical data and medical examinations) and conducts an in-person interview with hopeful applicants. This information is sent directly to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS interviewers then visit regional processing centers and conduct a second in-person interview with applicants. Information is used to complete a number of thorough background checks, and finally DHS officers return and conduct a third interview with applicants. The entire process typically takes two years, but can also take much longer depending on resettlement quotas and the background checking process. If a family is selected for resettlement, they are then offered a federal loan that pays for their one-way plane tickets to the United States (they pay this money back to the U.S. Government in a series of installments), and when they land in the United States they are passed off to one of nine NGOs that assist with resettlement.