The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Act Now Donate
Start of main content.

News // Immigrant Empowerment & Inclusion

Global Refuge on WYPR: Combatting Misinformation about Immigrants

Global Refuge Staff

September 25, 2024

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge, joined Midday with Tom Hall on WYPR, Baltimore’s local NPR affiliate, for a discussion on the spread of misinformation about immigrants and refugees in America. This concern remains in the spotlight after former President Trump referenced the Haitian community of Springfield, Ohio in the September 10th presidential debate. Vignarajah also dispels other common misconceptions about immigrants, including the false notion that they contribute to higher crime rates and housing prices.

Listen to the full segment above and share our Combatting Disinformation toolkit.

Key excerpts:

Myth: Refugees and immigrants take American jobs.

Fact: With nearly 7.7 million unfilled jobs nationwide and at a time of record-low unemployment, immigrants are essential to filling in the gaps in the American workforce. Immigrants are also more likely to contribute to job creation than displacement, with more than 55% of the country’s billion-dollar startups founded by immigrants.

Myth: Refugees and immigrants don’t pay taxes and are a drain on our nation’s resources.

Fact: Refugees and asylees contribute significantly to U.S. communities at the federal, state, and local level—both economically and culturally. Refugees and asylees contributed an estimated $581 billion in revenue to the U.S. economy from 2005 to 2019, and, in some cases, they pay into Social Security without reaping its benefits. Most importantly, they are our doctors and nurses, our well-known chefs, our favorite musicians, our overnight construction workers, our local shop owners, our neighbors, and so much more.

Myth: Refugees and immigrants commit more crimes and make the country more dangerous.

Fact: Research has proven time and again that there is no link between immigration and increased crime rates and that immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than their native‐born peers. In fact, some studies show that increased immigration results in lower crime rates—meaning immigrants make the United States safer for all

The Latest

  • News

    March 3, 2026

    New donor-funded program fills gaps left by funding cuts

    Global Refuge launched the Post-Arrival Stability and Empowerment (PASE) program in April 2025 to fill urgent gaps for refugee families.

    Read More

  • Press Release

    February 24, 2026

    State of the Union: Immigration Policy Should Reflect America’s Laws, Values, and Global Leadership

    "Tonight presents an opportunity for the administration to eschew the chaos of the last year and instead articulate a vision for immigration that is orderly, transparent, and grounded in fact."

    Read More

  • News

    February 24, 2026

    Overcoming the Financial Challenges of the Immigrant Journey

    When war drove Tetiana from her home in Ukraine in 2023, she found refuge in the United States—along with the difficult challenges that come with starting over in a new community with unfamiliar systems.

    Read More

  • Press Release

    February 20, 2026

    Report: Thousands of Ukrainians Risk Losing Legal Status as War Enters Fifth Year

    Global Refuge today released a new policy report warning that thousands of Ukrainians living legally in the United States could soon lose work authorization and lawful status 

    Read More

  • Press Release

    February 19, 2026

    Global Refuge Denounces DHS Plan to Arrest and Detain Lawfully Admitted Refugees

    Global Refuge unequivocally condemns the Department of Homeland Security’s new directive authorizing the arrest and detention of lawfully admitted refugees who have not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident status.

    Read More

Related Posts

News · Immigrant Empowerment & Inclusion

A Full-Circle Moment 40 Years in the Making

December 16th

More

News · Immigrant Empowerment & Inclusion

Breaking Barriers to Mental Healthcare

May 14th

More

News · Immigrant Empowerment & Inclusion

Jesus Was a Refugee

December 21st

More

Share