Cruelty hits home

[central scrutinizer]

Back in April 2023 I took in a family of Ukrainian refugees. Mom, dad, two teenage sons, 4 year old daughter. They had lived in Kharkiv, a city in far eastern Ukraine close to Russia. They originally fled to Poland but then sought asylum in Italy. While they were safe there, they had no success finding employment. So they came to the US in February 2023.

As I understand it, there were several programs set up by the Biden administration to help refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. The initial programs soon filled up and the family was allowed in under a later program which had more requirements and timelines. I don’t understand the differences. The mom is very focused and stays on top of everything. Right now she is at the Ukrainian consulate in San Francisco picking up new passports for the kids.

Both parents have college degrees. The mom speaks four languages. Both parents quickly found jobs and have been working for almost two years. Putting money into Social Security that they will never benefit from. I have been letting them live here for free. I don’t have a mortgage so I don’t need income. My water and electric bills have gone up about $100/month but I can handle that. The plan was they could save enough money to rent a place (first and last, security and cleaning deposits). I gave them until at least until the end of the school year in June, 2025, to move. I plan to sell my house next year and need a few months to prep the house. I’ve lived here for 40 years and there’s so much stuff to deal with.

The kids have been attending school and learning English. Playing basketball on school teams.

No telling how or when this new outrage will hit them.

[hlthe2b]

1. Heart-breaking all around...

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. You're a good person to do this.

I'm so sorry that you and they have to live in fear of their deportation. It's cruelty, and no remorse. He'd put them in coffin ships if they still existed.

[Ms. Toad]

3. Similar story here.

We've adopted an Afghan family. The husband was a translator for the US military. He and his wife fled to the US for safety and he found a job in the company where my niece works. They had their first child a few months ago - and their Afghan families have never seen their grandchild, nephew, cousin, etc. They have a single postage-stamp-sized picture of his father.

So we're standing in the place of their families. They were terrified for us, when most of the women in the family went to DC for the women's March, because it would not have been safe in their country.

And now Trump is threatening to deport them to a country where he is viewed as a traitor. I haven't heard anything specific to them, yet - but the horror stories of Afghan citizens being arrested at their required check-ins terrifies me.

[stoned]

4. What kind of visas are they under

and what are the statuses of those visas?

[central scrutinizer]

5. I don't know

It’s complicated. Originally they were eligible for food stamps health care and job training. Once they started working, food stamps stopped. I don’t know their work permits are open ended or have to be renewed. They communicate amongst themselves in Russian.

[Evolve Dammit]

6. Your kindness is what we are supposed to do. Thank you

[North Coast Lawyer]

7. How Did We Become This?

I'm ashamed to be an American.

[Cha]

8. I'm So Sorry, central scrutinizer!

I saw the Cruel, Vicious and Sadistic announcement earlier, just like the Fascist Fuck in the WH.

[central scrutinizer]

9. Our hope is the stable genius will reverse course

Just like with the tariffs.

[Cha]

10. I Hope So, Too! As with many other Insane

Firings and Cuts.

[elliesmandt]

11. Bravo

I applaud your kindness and humanity. Republican members in Congress should take lessons from you.

[58Sunliner]

12. Kudos to you! I am so angry that people are being put through this terrorism.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. My first thought

was about the Underground Railway used to get Blacks north across the Border of the North/South.....

[Karadeniz]

14. I love you !!!

[orleans]

15. k&r. how wonderful you were able to do this and that you did do this. thank you nt