Large groups of West African refugees are also coming to Pastor Nauhn’s church at present, looking to the church for guidance on many issues.  The immigration process in America has changed drastically in the past two and a half years.  For example, the prior six-month wait for a green card could now take up to three years because of new security restrictions.  James has been a touchstone for many West African immigrants who need assistance in this arena, acting as both advocate and interpreter.

Immigrants’ fears of deportation are not unfounded.  The New York Times reported on October 11, 2004 that the “Department of Homeland Security enforces 1996 immigration restrictions with new vigor” since September 11th, and that “noncitizens are being deported in record numbers.”  The citizenship process, and even the protocol for obtaining a green card, is lengthy and fraught with the potential for mistakes and oversight.  As New York City continues to recover from the worst economic disaster in our history, many immigrants face untold challenges as language barriers and bureaucracy compound the grief that the entire city continues to feel.  Immigrants were no less emotionally affected, but have had fewer resources for recovery.