– A Message from Joanna Krause, Executive Director of Canopy NWA
On Monday, President Trump signed an Executive Order indefinitely suspending the United States Refugee Admissions Program. This morning, Canopy received travel cancellations for refugees we were preparing to welcome. Calling someone to let them know their family member is no longer coming is devastating.
According to the Executive Order, the refugee admissions program will be reviewed by the federal government in 90 days. We aim to clearly show how refugee resettlement is an asset to our community and our country and advocate for the program’s resumption. We promise to keep you informed in the days and weeks ahead.
Canopy had travel scheduled for 11 families – 36 individuals – in February and March. One of these families is a family of five. They were certified by the United Nations as refugees in 2000 and have been waiting in a refugee camp for 25 years. Due to instability in the country they fled, they have never been able to return home. Their children were born in the camp. They completed the extensive and rigorous vetting and screening protocol by the U.S. government. They deserve to come here to be reunited with their family who lives in Arkansas. Now, due to the Executive Order, they are not arriving in February as scheduled.
Cancelling refugee resettlement is a loss for our community. A loss of people who will come to our community and make the best of this opportunity. A loss of students who will graduate and commit to making their community even better. A loss of workers for businesses, a loss of taxpayers, a loss of church members, a loss of students, a loss of good neighbors.
The United States has long been a beacon of hope for the world’s displaced. Refugee resettlement is not only a testament to the humanitarian values that define us but also a clear example of a process within our broken immigration system that works. The infrastructure for welcoming refugees is robust, with nonprofits across the nation—like ours—dedicated to ensuring that refugees are supported and empowered to thrive in their new communities. Our nation has a long and proud history of refugee resettlement. Canopy has played a small part in this journey, resettling 952 refugees in Northwest Arkansas since opening in 2016. In partnership with our local community, we were prepared to welcome an additional 200 individuals in 2025. These refugees have already completed the vetting process and are waiting for their travel to be scheduled. Two of these families were assigned to be resettled by Canopy in the fall of 2016 but still have not arrived due to the refugee travel bans implemented during President Trump’s first term. The impact of such bans continues to affect real people for years.
Today and Moving Forward
With refugee arrivals paused, what is Canopy doing? We are committed to providing our services to refugees in our community through the Long Welcome. The Long Welcome is a suite of services designed to support refugees from newcomers to thriving, engaged residents by their fifth year. We do this by providing career laddering, youth services, maternal health navigation, entrepreneurship, immigration services and more. As of today, there are over 750 refugees in Northwest Arkansas living in our community for less than 5 years. They deserve to have access to services to support full integration into our community. While we anticipate a loss of funding for refugee resettlement, Canopy holds steadfast to our commitment to be here for each and every family, including the three families who arrived just last week.
Our local schools, businesses, faith communities and residents play an essential role in the Long Welcome. Integration is about partnership and communities where everyone is thriving. Canopy will continue to offer volunteer and internship opportunities, refer qualified candidates to job openings at local businesses and host events that celebrate the contributions of local refugee and immigrant communities.
Thank you for your continued support and compassion.
Joanna Krause
Executive Director
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