Six basic facts about refugees and Houston | The Houston Chronicle

Houston is home to five refugee resettlement agencies, which regularly work together to coordinate services and are all part of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (@HTXimmigration), a collective of non-profit organizations that provide free and low-cost legal services to immigrants in the Houston region. The five agencies are Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, Refugee Services of Texas, YMCA International Services, and Alliance for Multicultural Community Services. The YMCA International Services is a proud partner of the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

1. Refugees are fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion.
2. Obtaining refugee status and eventual resettlement is very challenging.
3. Refugees are subject to the highest level of security checks of any traveler to the U.S.
4. The U.S. vetting process for refugees is more rigorous than the process used in other countries.
5. Most refugees become naturalized American citizens.
6. Refugees are an important part of the Houston community.

For full information on each fact, read the article