THE “ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT,” SIGNED INTO LAW THIS MONTH, IS CHANGING IMMIGRATION POLICIES NATIONWIDE. INCLUDING, áHOWá REFUGEE FAMILIES ARE SUPPORTED IN ARKANSAS. 40/29’S LAKYRA BANKS JOINS US LIVE NOW. LAKYRA– YOU SPOKE WITH A SPRINGDALE- BASED RESETTLEMENT GROUP ABOUT WHAT THE NEW LAW COULD MEAN FOR THEIR CLIENTS? THE NEW FEDERAL LAW INCLUDES SWEEPING IMMIGRATION CHANGES- FROM ENFORCEMENT SPENDING TO ACCESS TO PUBLIC HEALTH. CANOPY NWA- SAYS THOSE CHANGES COULD NOT ONLY PUT REFUGEE FAMILIES AT RISK– BUT ALSO AFFECT THE NATION’S ECONOMY. CANOPY NWA HELPS RESETTLE REFUGEES- PEOPLE LEGALLY APPROVED TO ENTER THE U-S AFTER FLEEING VIOLENCE IN THEIR COUNTRY. UNDER THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL- CANOPY OFFICIALS SAY REFUGEE FAMILIES COULD LOSE ACCESS TO PROGRAMS LIKE FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAID. “stripping Snap benefits, which is food stamps from these families within the next couple of weeks, is shocking to me… it’s when that hits a family of I was going to take my child to the doctor, and I don’t longer have health insurance. I was going to buy food, and now I’m not sure where to get it. That’s that’s what keeps me up at night.” THE BILL ALSO ADDS NEW APPLICATION FEES FOR WORK PERMITS. 550 DOLLARS TO APPLY FOR A WORK PERMIT- AND 275 TO RENEW IT YEARLY. KRAUSE SAYS- FOR THE FIRST TIME- THERE ARE FEES TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM. “It is a global understanding that if someone is forced to flee their home because they’ve been persecuted, they have the right to cross the border and seek asylum in a new country. So applying a fee to that, to me is unthinkable.” SHE SAYS THE BILL HAS A BROADER IMPACT. KRAUSE SAYS LOCAL EMPLOYERS HAVE REACHED TO CANOPY WITH HUNDREDS OF JOB OPENINGS BUT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO FILL THEM BECAUSE OF RESETTLEMENT DELAYS AND RISING COSTS. “Refugees are people who are ready, willing to work and go to work quickly. These can be jobs like cleaning poultry equipment overnight. They are jobs that are very, very difficult to fill with the local community. And that is why employers call folks like us…I don’t just see this as challenging for individual families. It’s going to be challenging for our business community. And then therefore, for our whole state’s economy.” THE BILL ALSO INCREASES FEDERAL SPENDING ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. 30 MILLION FOR ICE AND 45 MILLION TO BUILD DETENTION CENTERS. KRAUSE SAYS SHE CONCERNED THE MONEY USED FOR áREFUGEE RESETTLEMENTá COULD NO

Advertisement Arkansas refugee resettlement group raises concerns over impacts of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Act Canopy NWA officials say the new law could take away benefits for refugee families and strain Arkansas’ workforce Editorial Standards ⓘ

A new federal law is changing how the U.S. handles immigration. A Northwest Arkansas refugee resettlement group, Canopy NWA, says it could have serious effects on families, businesses, and the broader economy. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, signed into law this month, includes sweeping changes to immigration policies. Canopy NWA, a nonprofit based in Springdale, helps legally approved refugees resettle in the United States after fleeing war, violence, or persecution. Joanna Krause, the Executive Director, says the new law could take away SNAP benefits and health insurance.“Stripping SNAP benefits, which is food stamps, from these families within the next couple of weeks is shocking to me,” said Krause. “I am extremely worried about refugee families who are here in Arkansas, who are working, whose kids are going to school and graduating, trying to build a life for themselves and now having far fewer food resources.”The law also adds new fees for refugees applying for work permits. Refugees will now be required to pay $550 to apply for a work permit and $275 to renew it annually. According to Krause, the bill also imposes fees on asylum applications for the first time“It is a global understanding that if someone is forced to flee their home because they’ve been persecuted, they have the right to cross the border and seek asylum in a new country,” she said. “So applying a fee to that, to me, is unthinkable.”Krause says the effects extend beyond refugee households. Local employers have reached out to Canopy with hundreds of open jobs but Canopy says they are now unable to help fill those roles due to resettlement delays and increased immigration-related costs.“Refugees are people who are ready, willing to work and go to work quickly. These can be jobs like cleaning poultry equipment overnight. They are jobs that are very, very difficult to fill with the local community. And that is why employers call folks like us,” Krause said. “I don’t just see this as challenging for individual families. It’s going to be challenging for our business community and then therefore, for our whole state’s economy.”The bill also increases federal funding for immigration enforcement, including $30 million for ICE and $45 million for new detention facilities. Krause says it’s unclear whether refugee resettlement programs will face cuts, but she’s concerned money previously set aside for support services may now be redirected to immigration detention and enforcement.