The future of President Trump's travel ban is uncertain, but so is the future of many Fox Valley refugees families.
At least 18 families are waiting find out if and when they will be reunited with family members, according to World Relief Fox Valley.
Inside the World Relief Fox Valley office in Appleton, maps of different countries hang on the walls, showing where many of refugees in Northeast Wisconsin have come from. However, the maps also show where many loved ones of those families are stuck because of President Trump's executive order.
Part of the executive order barred refugees from any country from coming to the United States for four months.
"These families have already been waiting, and now this moratorium could certainly delay additionally months, maybe years that these families are coming," said Tami McLaughlin, Director of World Relief Fox Valley.
At nearby Lawrence University, professor of government Cludena Skran is an expert on refugee law. There are many misconceptions about refugees, she said, and mentioned they already go through an extreme vetting process.
"Refugees coming into the U.S. are the most scrutinized group of any people coming into the U.S.," she said.
Of all the refugees who came into the U.S. last year, about 75% were women and children, Skran said.
"So the idea that military age men are flooding into the country on the refugee quota couldn't be further from the truth," she explained.
For refugee families in Northeast Wisconsin, waiting for loved ones is difficult. However, World Relief Fox Valley tries to make it easier by welcoming them into communities with the help of volunteers.
They are hosting a volunteer information session at their Appleton office at 217 E Pacific Street on Thursday, February 9th at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit their website here.
