In Syria, the battle for the last of rebel-controlled Aleppo culminated in “a complete meltdown of humanity” as pro-government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, moved in on Tuesday. At least 82 civilians, including children, were reportedly indiscriminately executed. Others posted final goodbyes and pleas for help via social media before evacuations of remaining civilians began on Wednesday.

For many Syrian refugees living in the United States, their future under a Trump presidency feels uncertain and fearful. The president decides the number of refugees the country will admit, and as a candidate Trump indicated that he would stop accepting refugees from Syria and would stop sending any refugees to communities that opposed them—a move that would be unprecedented.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence fear that Syrians fleeing war pose a security risk and that terrorists may abuse the system to gain entry to the United States. These concerns are largely without merit: refugees undergo a strict vetting process that takes one to two years to complete and the chances of being killed by a foreign-born terrorist in the United States are 1 in 3.64 billion.

A new analysis of Syrian immigrants put out jointly by the Center for American Progress and the Fiscal Policy Institute found, “when given a chance, Syrian immigrants are fitting into and excelling in the United States, both socially and economically, on wide variety of metrics.” For example, the study found that Syrian immigrants are highly entrepreneurial and that their businesses are thriving—which means they are supporting and growing local economies and providing employment opportunities.

And in a handful of cities nationwide, police departments are recruiting refugees into the force to help build trust and better serve those communities. The Washington Post tells the story of Abdesselam Baddaoui, an Algeria-born refugee who was sworn into the Manchester Police Department last week.

In other news, a spur in anti-Muslim crimes has continued in the wake of the November election. In New York City, a transit employee was pushed by a man on the stairs and called a terrorist. In Southern California, a man has been arrested on suspicion of committing a hate crime, stabbing a worshiper near a mosque. And Ilhan Omar, the Somalian refugee who made history by winning a Minnesota statehouse race to become the nation’s first Somali American lawmaker, was threatened and hatefully taunted by a DC taxi driver.

Vets for American Ideals is among many groups and individuals who are committed to combating such hate, by speaking out against Islamophobia and standing with our Muslim friends, neighbors, and fellow veterans.