Citiig national security concerns, President Trump continues to sharply limit admission of legal immigrants and refugees in the United States. The president’s policy is having an impact: Industries hungry for employees, such as meat processing and lumber, are finding it increasingly difficult to fill their ranks. Labor recruiter, Ray Wiley, explains, “If you told me there’s one thousand refugees who need work and want work, I could find them work this month...Employers like refugees...they are generally more motivated and work harder, if only because their situation is more dire.” Mr. Wiley goes on to say, “They want the American dream, and they don’t mind starting off on the bottom. There’s a lot of unskilled work in the U.S. that Americans will not do, and these people are doing it.”

After immigrating to the United States to escape conflict, Bosnian refugee Emir Hadzic wanted to give back to his new homeland, so he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes of the now-retired Hadzic: “His sense of duty, loyalty and gratitude to his adopted home still play a major role in his life.” Now a veteran, Hadzic continues his service as a member of the St. Louis County Department. “Serving as a Marine was an honor, as is being a police officer today,” says Hadzic

“Viet Stories: Recollections and Regenerations,”  an exhibit documenting the journeys of Vietnamese refugees is currently on display at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. Its curators highlight the importance of Vietnamese refugee stories; One artist explains that the project is “important for Americans, because oftentimes what they see of Vietnam and Vietnamese people are the images of war—dramatic, horrific pictures of war...this just shows us as everyday people, it shows the beauty of Vietnam, and it shows the life that we all had before it was taken away by the war.”

Ignoring a directive from Secretary Mattis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to deport a Chinese immigrant, despite laws that allow veterans with honorable service to naturalize.  Retired Army officer Margaret Stock told The Washington Post, “Zhu graduated from basic training on June 9, 2016, and was handed over to ICE custody months later, after the Army lost a battle to retain him.”

In September 2005, six women made history, becoming the first all-female C-130 Hercules crew to fly in combat. Last week, a few members of the of the group reflected on their experiences. Lt. Col. Anita Mack emphasized that she has always focused on being a great navigator and officer first, rather than a woman in the Air Force. 310th Airlift Squadron commander, Lt. Col. Carol Mitchell shared, “Young girls in particular are often surprised to learn that I’m a pilot and that therefore, they could be too. We need to do a better job of educating society and our youth so they understand that there are no longer obstacles preventing girls from doing whatever they decide to do.”