NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Immigration attorneys said there’s an increase of migrants trickling into the mid-state as they’ve seen an uptick in calls and walk-in appointments.
"So helping people with asylum, helping people who are the victims of trafficking, victims of serious crime, children who are abused abandoned or neglected by their parents," said attorney Allen King, At Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors.
They're getting 30 to 50 calls a week too which is more than usual. They noted that in 2023 they added on 150 additional clients.
“If you’re seeking asylum, we have clients who’ve been waiting since 2016, and as more people seek asylum, that wait time is only going to get longer," King said.
In some cases, Allen said they're coming to Tennessee to work or meet up with relatives. Executive director Tessa Lemos Del Pino said they have 1,300 open cases.
"The immigration system is a long and complicated process, and it’s not as simple as some people think you can't just get in line, and the number of options available to people are very limited, the number of Visas that are granted on a yearly basis are limited," Del Pino said.
In addition, at Catholic Charities they’ve seen an increase in refugees they’ve filtered through their program. Many of them came from Afghanistan and Ukraine according to Catholic Charities State Refugee Coordinator Louisa Saratora.
“A large part of what we and our partners do is welcome newcomers to the refugee resettlement program so folks who are living overseas in a country of asylum have already fled their home country because of persecution," Saratora said.
On top of more migrants moving here, it's all hands-on deck for advocates.
“Leveraging those with other community resources and partnerships to really provide the most holistic opportunities for integration for folks that are new in communities,” Saratora said.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
