Yeganeh Bahraminejad sorts through a stack of papers inside her Dallas apartment. There鈥檚 a bill from the electric provider about an overdue payment 鈥� a reminder that she鈥檚 not sure how she鈥檚 going to keep up with all of her expenses.
The 40-year Iranian native landed in the U.S. in March and was excited to start a new chapter in the U.S. But in May, the organization that resettled her, Refugee Services of Texas, announced it was permanently closing after 40 years.
David McKeever, the agency鈥檚 CEO, said in a statement that RST was forced to close due to a severe budget shortfall, despite implementing an emergency plan to make up financial losses.
Weeks later, refugees who were being resettled by RST still have more questions than answers. Bahraminejad and other newcomers 四虎影院 talked to say they feel disillusioned and angry at what happened to RST.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not my problem that they don鈥檛 have the money,鈥� Bahraminejad said. 鈥淭hey accept my case. If they don鈥檛 have the money, why [did] they accept new case[s]?鈥�
Statewide plan for refugees
Other resettlement agencies around the state are taking on RST鈥檚 clients, but some say that process has been slow-going, confusing and frustrating.
Jeff Demers, State Refugee Coordinator at the , said in a written response that his office organized a task force in response to RST鈥檚 closure and that staff visited every RST office statewide to collect client case files.
He said TXOR is reviewing a total of 3,800 active client cases statewide as well as recently closed cases to identify ongoing needs and refer clients to refugee service providers.
鈥淭o date, we have successfully contacted nearly all Fort Worth and Austin clients and have initiated the referral process to agencies in these areas who have confirmed capacity,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are diligently working through each case, according to urgency and region, so that every existing client is engaged.鈥�
Finding a job
Bahraminejad said she鈥檚 in a somewhat better position than others because she understands and speaks English.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need someone [to] help me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 go everywhere [by] myself. No one translate[s] for me in a hospital or anywhere. But I just need help for my rent.鈥�
Bahraminejad lives in a one-bedroom apartment that costs $1,080 a month. She recently found a job at a nearby Walmart, which she said she got after waiting five hours to speak with someone in charge.
鈥淚 just told him three sentences: I love this job. I need this job. And I am a woman, I鈥檓 responsible for what I promise to people,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd he gave me that job and I鈥檓 so, so grateful.鈥�
In another Dallas apartment complex, a couple of Central African Republic men who fled the war in their country have been providing moral support for each other. Herman Besse, 35, came from a refugee camp in Cameroon in March. He expressed his dismay with the help of a French interpreter named Fernando.
鈥淭he help he鈥檚 received is not the way it should be happening,鈥� the interpreter said. 鈥淭hey haven鈥檛 gotten much help from the services. They鈥檝e been left a bit down, and they try to understand what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
'A dire situation'
Besse said he tried to enroll his 13-year-old son in school but had trouble. Now he wants to find a job but doesn鈥檛 know how because he hasn鈥檛 yet learned English. He said he thought someone with the resettlement agency would help guide him through that process.
鈥淗e鈥檚 saying he鈥檚 in a dire situation,鈥� the interpreter said. 鈥淪ometimes he has to go and search for food in the garbage, and he sounds a bit desperate.鈥�
Besse鈥檚 voice cracked as he spoke and his eyes teared up. He doesn鈥檛 understand why it鈥檚 been so difficult for him, he said, when he knows other refugees who鈥檝e had a smooth transition.
His neighbor, Mahamat Issa, said he feels equally desperate and tears up when he describes his experience. The 36-year-old has a wife and three children.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� the interpreter said. 鈥淚t feels like he鈥檚 been abandoned. He made an effort to contact someone and he鈥檚 waiting for something to happen.鈥�
Demers, the state refugee coordinator, said each client will be individually contacted as soon as their file is under review, 鈥渢o keep them informed and provide a singular point of contact to reach out with any issues or questions that arise.
鈥淥ur aim is that this consistency assures clients that they are heard and ensures that they understand each step of the process, so that they are empowered to access services as soon as possible.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Stella M. Ch谩vez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter .
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider today. Thank you.
