The members of the Commission of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs pose for a picture. Credit: Courtesy of Fernanda Díaz-Basteris
Fifteen members of the Columbus Commission of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs were officially sworn in as the city’s newest community leaders April 8.
The newly formed commission was first established by an ordinance introduced by Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, which was confirmed Nov. 18, 2024, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The 15 members will “represent Columbus’ vibrant immigrant populations” and amplify immigrant voices in the wider Columbus community, according to the City of Columbus website.
Fernanda Díaz-Basteris, a commission member and assistant professor of Latinx new media and ethnic studies at Ohio State, said the commission was conceptualized after Barroso de Padilla started a research project at Ohio State called “Immigrants Make Columbus.”
“It was a research study where three faculty from the College of Social Work developed a plan to listen and to understand what immigrants and refugees need in Columbus,” Díaz-Basteris said. “After they finished that project, they shared a recommendation to the city council members, and that recommendation was developed into this commission.”
Díaz-Basteris said the commission’s 15 members represent 14 countries that are home to many immigrants now living in the United States.
“There are 14 countries represented; there are big countries like Mexico and Venezuela that have a very big representation and a substantial diaspora in the U.S.,” Díaz-Basteris said. “But there’s also other small countries in the Caribbean, like Haiti, St. Lucia, and there’s also countries in Africa that we have people from — Nigeria, Liberia [and] Botswana.”
Bartholomew Shepkong, chair of the commission, said it will serve as an advisory body to the Columbus City Council on all issues involving immigrants in Columbus’ network of communities, including the provision of resources that ensure they are treated fairly.
“So, it was established as a matter of fact to promote the integration, protection and also well-being of immigrants and refugee communities,” Shepkong said. “Basically, as I said, it will be advocating for policies, for programs and also will be involved in partnerships that advance access to opportunity, civil civic participation and also community engagement.”
The commission will develop annual plans to highlight the achievements of the immigrant community and address the challenges it faces, as well as plan for its overall future in Columbus, Díaz-Basteris said.
“We are also going to project and discuss what the future looks for us as immigrants in Columbus,” Díaz-Basteris said. “How do we see ourselves in the next five years? How do we see ourselves in the next 10 years?”
Shepkong said the commission already has planned goals to build up immigrant communities in various ways.
“Being an immigrant myself, we have huge goals, but some of the things that we really want to accomplish are supporting immigrant entrepreneurship and workforce development, advancing equitable housing, health care, education access [and] promoting pathways to legal residency [or] citizenship, but also civic inclusion,” Shepkong said.
The Trump administration’s January stop-work order froze funding for resettlement programs such as Community Refugee and Immigration Services, forcing them to begin layoffs and reducing their ability to function, according to the Associated Press.
CRIS is one of three federally funded resettlement programs in Columbus that was affected by the Trump administration’s stop-work order, which forced the organizations to begin staff layoffs due to the absence of federal funding, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
“This has created uncertainty and fear among immigrants, so our work as a commission basically serves as a local mechanism to address these challenges by providing a platform for advocacy and support,” Shepkong said.
Díaz-Basteris said it is necessary for immigrants to have representation in government because only they truly know what they need.
“It is truly important that immigrant communities have a seat [at] the table where decisions are made and mostly have a voice, right?” Díaz-Basteris said. “Only immigrants know what is best for immigrants.”
