He visited with Senators here at the
Capitol yesterday and today. Earlier today I met with him, and I told
him I would speak in his honor in the hopes that his words might
inspire us at a challenging time. The word of last Friday's Executive orders regarding immigration and
refugees--orders which implemented the President's campaign rhetoric to
implement a Muslim ban--shocked the country this weekend. I traveled to
Roanoke and Blacksburg, VA--communities in the southwestern portion of
my Commonwealth. I was there to meet with local health care providers
and students pursuing health care careers. I had planned the trip to go
talk about the Affordable Care Act, but at my first event, two families
came to me with a concern. Working together with Roanoke Catholic
charities, they had helped settle a Syrian refugee family in Blacksburg
1 year ago. The Syrian family was a mom and dad and four kids. These
sponsors told me how well the family was doing and how welcoming this
community was in bringing this family to Virginia and taking them in.
Keywords matched
immigration refugee refugees