Story shows what it means for refugee system to rebound

By Rebecca Santana and Erik Verduzco

Washington-based Homeland Security reporter Rebecca Santana had been seeing the climbing number of refugees entering the U.S., and sources in the refugee resettlement community told her that the government’s refugee program was finally recovering after cuts enacted during Donald Trump’s administration. Trounson wanted to see what those changes looked like in communities where refugees were resettling.

Santana settled on South Carolina where the resettlement agency had grown in the last three years in a state that at times had been hostile to refugees. Santana and Erik Verduzco teamed up in Columbia to capture various moments as the refugees settled into their new life in America, such as an English class. The duo also saw a family from the Congo visit their new apartment for the first time. The story included background about what the U.S. had done to increase refugee processing and concerns about what Trump’s possible election in November would mean for the program. In addition to shooting video, Verduzco shot still photos to accompany the story.