By Erich Almonte

On November 14, in a small ceremony at City hall, at-large Houston City Council Member Jack Christie recognized the contributions refugees are making to the cultural richness and economic prosperity of our city. It was a small yet important step. Houston is one of the biggest cities in the United States, the most diverse, and it welcomes the most refugees. It’s also something of a microcosm of the United States: densely populated pockets of younger, more diverse, left-leaning communities interspersed between less dense areas of older, less diverse, right-leaning ones. A broad generalization, sure, but just look at a map of state or congressional districts and you’ll see what I mean. Houston could and should be a bellwether for the rest of the country. And at a time when official U.S. policy toward refugees is rather unwelcoming, it is a hopeful sign to receive such positive recognition for refugees right here in the heart of Texas.

The city hall ceremony came about after I, along with my fellow Veterans for American Ideals-Houston members Adam Babiker and Liz Vallette, talked about the need to welcome refugees in a Veterans Day editorial in the Houston Chronicle.

I came to VFAI just a few months before, after representing an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicant pro bono. I was frustrated because, despite reauthorizing the Special Immigrant Visa Program, Congress failed to authorize a sufficient number of visas for the program to actual work. So, in April, mere months after the reauthorization, our embassy in Kabul ran out. Not only did the visa shortage delay the applications of thousands of SIV applicants, my client included, but it broke America’s promise to our wartime allies. It was morally wrong and shortsighted from a national security perspective. I knew I had to do something, but had no idea what or how. That's when I first learned of VFAI and met Adam and Liz.

Right off the bat, VFAI provided information, helped me craft talking points, and set up meetings with our congressional delegation so I could advocate for more special immigrant visas. Adam, as is typical for him I’ve come to learn, was already advocating for SIVs, the travel ban, and stopping the genocide in Darfur. A Sudanese refugee, a veteran, and leader of the Darfurian Association of Greater Houston, Adam is an inspiration. The first time we had coffee together, I felt like we had been friends for years. But even more striking than his affability is his absolute certainty in the rightness of his cause.

Soon after, I met Liz. An inspiration in her own right, I remember listening in amazement as she matter-of-factly described her nonprofit, Plant it Forward Farms. As she described a system of urban farms run by refugees so that they can give back to the nation that took them in, I was in awe: Refugees were doing a lot of good things in our community, but few, myself included, knew anything about it. I knew that we had to spread the word and combat the negative narratives about refugees. VFAI-Houston was born.

So, in a way, Council Member Christie’s recognition let us know that we’re on the right track, but it is certainly not the last step. We’ll keep on pushing forward, fighting for refugees and SIV recipients, and we won’t tire because it’s our passion. We’ll keep at it, educating, advocating, and reminding people that America is at its strongest when it’s living up to its ideals. It’s why we put on the uniform in the first place, and it’s why we continue to serve now that we’ve taken it off.

Erich Almonte is a U.S. Army veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, Erich is a lawyer in Houston and currently represents Special Immigrant Visa recipients and their families pro bono. He also co-leads the Vets for American Ideals Houston team.