Who will help the refugees who come to Nashville now? Plus, the local news for April 23, 2025.
After Trump’s funding cuts, a Tennessee nonprofit struggles to support refugees and itself
A Trump administration freeze of funds designated to help new refugees is causing chaos for families and forcing nonprofits — including in Nashville — to cut promised services. Church members and other volunteers are filling some gaps.
Your Turn to Talk: new immigration policy
The month of January saw massive and fast-moving changes to immigration policy at both the state and federal levels.
Flights canceled and funds frozen for refugees approved to resettle in Tennessee
A resettlement nonprofit says dozens of people were expected, including some intending to reunite with families in Tennessee.
Who’s at risk of deportation? A guide to the U.S. immigration system, and what it means for Tennesseans
Davidson County has around 110,000 immigrants, or 15.5% of the population. Around two-thirds of local immigrants have some kind of legal status.
For Fulbrighters in Afghanistan, a Tennessee nonprofit has become an unlikely lifeline
Two years ago today, the Taliban entered Kabul. They swiftly took power and began targeting people they viewed as enemies of the regime — including Afghans with American educations. That includes dozens of Fulbright scholars. A small resettlement organization in Tennessee is trying to help them escape and eventually come to the U.S.
‘Jacir’ is a film about a Syrian refugee who navigates poverty and racism in Memphis. The film’s director can relate.
‘Jacir’ is the first full-length feature from director Waheed AlQawasmi, who moved from Jordan to Memphis at the age 13. The drama follows a Syrian refugee resettling in the South, showcasing the best and worst parts of humanity.
Curious Nashville: How the city became a destination for Kurdish families, and how the community is evolving
You may be aware that Nashville is home to the biggest population of Kurdish people in the United States — Kurds, who are considered the largest ethnic group in the world without a sovereign state. But one Curious Nashville listener asked how Nashville came to be such a destination for Kurds. The answer is multi-layered.
‘We want to work’: Ukrainian refugees are resettling around Nashville but paperwork is preventing them from building independence
More than 70 Ukrainian refugees have made their way to Middle Tennessee since the start of the war earlier this year. But their resettlement process looks different from many others.
‘I never forgot the journey’: Afghan refugees reflect on the day they left Kabul and the lives they’re building in Nashville
For many of the more than 300 Afghan refugees who attended the Islamic Center of Nashville’s December welcome dinner, this was the first chance to see what life will be like in Tennessee.
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