People who are refugees are generally talked about as a group instead of as individuals with names and a story that usually involves a long and arduous journey.
The Refugee Resettlement Program staff at Catholic Charites of Arkansas received permission from a courageous Guatemalan mother and daughter to share their resettlement story. Only first names are listed to protect their privacy.
Rosabla and her daughter Liceli arrived at the airport in Little Rock in October 2024. They were greeted by a few family members already living in the area. This was normal because often people with refugee status are sent to destinations where they have a “U.S.tie,” which can be family members or a friend who lives close to where they hope to resettle and who is willing to assist them with the resettlement process.
Catholic Charities of Arkansas staff were also part of the welcoming party.
Many times, new refugee arrivals are placed in a temporary housing arrangement where it is just them. Rosabla and Liceli were fortunate to move in with their relatives who, along with Refugee Resettlement staff assigned to their case, helped them begin to adjust to their new life in Arkansas. Reflecting on the past few months, Liceli said she and her mother were “most grateful to Catholic Charities for the services they provided to them with obtaining legal documents and beginning the process of cultural adjustment.”
“We were able to find jobs and begin to adjust to life in Arkansas because of the help of Catholic Charities,” she said.
When a refugee is compelled to leave their native country for a fresh start that can take years, they leave behind more than most of their possessions. They also leave behind their livelihoods. For Liceli, this meant leaving Guatemala, where she was close to completing her nursing degree. She hopes eventually to be able to finish her studies in Arkansas, but first, she is studying English.
On her plans for the future, Liceli said, “I am studying English along with working because one day I hope to obtain my nursing degree.”
A hardship many refugees endure is family separation, and Rosabla and Liceli have not been spared this heartache. Since Inauguration Day Jan. 20, the new administration suspended, then later stopped admitting any new refugees to the United States. Whether this policy will change is unclear and remains to be seen.
For Rosabla, this means an older daughter (Liceli’s sister) who was left behind in Guatemala will be unable to join them. The older daughter was in the process of applying for refugee status using her family (Rosabla and Liceli) as her U.S. ties, and now there is no clear path forward for her.
Liceli said, “When they first heard about the changes, they were devastated.”
She and her mother told Catholic Charities that “we are currently praying for each other and have hope that we will one day be reunited.”
