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Therefore, in the fall of 2016, although most of the adults in my class were not yet citizens, and, therefore, not eligible to vote, I wanted the learners to understand the upcoming election and especially the significance of red and blue states as reflected in the electoral college. While learners had strong political opinions about who they wanted to win the election, my stance was always strictly nonpartisan. Over several days, learners worked in small groups to research the number of electorsin each state, and they learned that the candidate who won at least 270 electoral votes would become president of the United States even if that person did not win the popular vote. Students learned that in 2000 Al Gore lost to George W. Bush, eventhough Gore had won the popular vote that year. In 2016, we saw electoral college history repeated.  \nWhile Clarena Larrotta has offered a national perspective on the impact of recent immigration policies on the lives of the adults we serve  \nin literacy programs, my goal is to share the experience of one community.  \nSince 1991, I have worked in a local adult education program in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, teaching English to immigrants and refugees.  \nLike many adult literacy practitioners, I have met people from around the world in my classes, many of whom have faced unspeakable tragedy and pain in their lives before coming to the United States. For many decades, our country, through the goodwill and generosity of our citizens, has been a refuge to those in need.  \nIn fact, my city has a long history of welcoming those fleeing danger and persecution. There is a large community of Mennonites and Amish whose ancestors found a new home in this area seeking religious liberty centuries ago. Because welcoming the persecuted is part ofour heritage, many people currently living in Lancaster share a conviction that helping those in need is a moral imperative.  \nIn January of 2017, the BBC featured Lancaster in an online video calling my city the “Refugee Capitol of the U.S.” As reported by the BBC,“Since 2013, Lancaster has taken in over 1,300 refugees,” which is “20 times per capita more than the US as a whole.”  \nAmong our more recent arrivals are families from  \nCorrespondance: Susan Finn Miller, [sfinnmiller@gmail.com](sfinnmiller@gmail.com 59)[ 59](sfinnmiller@gmail.com 59)  \nSyria and Somalia, two countries whose people are now banned by our government’s travel restrictions. Tragically, Syrians and Somalis who have already settled in our community fear they may never again see some of their loved ones who were left behind. In addition to these travel restrictions, the current administration is also seeking to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which has provided legal protection for individuals from certain places who have experienced tragedy due to extreme violence, war, or natural disaster. Many thousands of individuals from Sudan, Haiti, El Salvador, and Nicaragua under TPS, who have been living in our country for decades, may now face deportation.  \nI have met and taught hundreds of individuals from these countries in my ESL classes over the years. I know a woman, who at 19 – fully aware of the dangers – walked to the United States from El Salvador. There was a man from Somalia in my class whose response to the oral language assessment question “What do you like about Pennsylvania” was “There is no war here.” I know a woman who was late for a meeting with me because she had to wire $20 to her","cbCaiiobULqPeryS","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiobULqPeryS","pdf",154986,"English","# How Policy Changes Affect Local Immigrant Learners\n## Civics education and election understanding\n## Community context and refugee impacts\n## Policy restrictions, TPS, and family disruption","[{\"question\":\"Which immigration-related policy changes heighten learners’ concerns?\",\"answer\":\"The text links concerns to travel restrictions that ban people from certain countries and efforts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS). It also notes that individuals under TPS may face deportation, creating fear of chaotic disruption for families.\"}]","How Policy Changes Affect Local Immigrant Learners | PDF",1792065998]