PRESS RELEASE
Weekly Update 8/31
A simulation, a border, and the cost of fear
What we did
On Friday, I attended an Immigration Simulator hosted by Des Moines Community Impact & Relations. I went in thinking I understood the issue. I left knowing I didn't.
We were randomly placed in groups of four – now a family fleeing civil unrest.
Gunfire and explosions had reached our town. We had two minutes to pack a backpack. As the handy dad I am, I grabbed batteries, a multi‑tool, a tourniquet, a first aid kit, water, clothes – things I keep in my real‑life emergency bag.
Then we fled on foot. A family member went missing during an outbreak of violence. We took refuge in a school while we waited for news. By the time we left, we'd lost half our supplies. Bye‑bye tourniquet. Bye‑bye batteries.
We made it to the U.S. border. Another family member was quarantined for a disease. A new person joined us – displaced and injured. Then we were given paperwork to fill out. Replicas of real paperwork. The random language assigned to my group? Hindi – not one I practice on Duolingo.
We eventually remembered we had a phone. But our "kid" had it – and we'd gotten separated early on. Thankfully, the new member did, after translating what we could, we filled out about a third of the application. We were missing key pieces – like an immigration ID number.
From there, we were reunited with our family in a refugee camp at the border. One third of the groups got to receive status and proceed into the country – given an apartment and a few months of rent. The rest of us? Average wait time: 17 years.
In that time, a kid turning 18 restarts the process. A woman having children resets the clock. We reflected on who packed important documents. Many of the women remembered birth certificates and IDs. But no one – not a single person – packed their diploma or job certification.
The Problem
This simulation demonstrated something I'll never forget: people lose everything. Often as a result of U.S. interference in their home countries or climate disasters.
Iowa takes many of these people. Without their job qualifications, many end up in agriculture, retail, elderly care, and manufacturing. The organizers shared a story about a celebration – a man had finally gotten a job as a CNA. In his home country, he had been the director of health.
These people face intense hurdles.
As of October 1st, many documented immigrants will no longer be eligible for Medicaid - including refugees. Hospitals are terrified. Without regular treatment, people will end up in ERs – and when they can't pay, hospitals will raise costs for everyone.
Since the Trump administration, if you made a mistake on your paperwork, you used to get a letter asking for a copy of your birth certificate. Now? That letter doesn't come. You're auto‑placed on a deportation list – without even knowing it. That’s how many people have been deported while attending a regular immigration hearing.
The Solution
We need to provide viable options for people seeking shelter here. It's an international requirement that we take in refugees – and the U.S. is one of the biggest reasons refugees exist in the first place.
Immigrants provide endless benefits to our country and our state. Iowa barely breaks even on population growth without them – and a shrinking population is a death sentence for a community.
We need to remove the culture war. We need to stop electing politicians who write bills to attack these people. Unfortunately, the Iowa GOP is more than happy to do this – and my opponent, Ann Meyer, writes bills to do it. She always votes party line against immigrants.
I'm running to change that.
Where We’re Going
Sep 1st Park Clean-Up 1:00 - 2:00 PM; reach out if interested!
Sep 3rd Clean River Rally for Chris Jones Event in Fort Dodge - Kris will be joining the journey for this part of the trip. More details: Click Here
Sep 3rd Clean River Rally for Chris Jones Event in Lehigh - Kris will be joining the journey for this part of the trip. More details: Click Here
Canvassing - Wednesday 5:30 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM, Sunday 12:00 PM
Noteworthy Posts
Link to Facebook New Endorsement - Center for Freethought Equality - here
Link to Facebook on money out of politics - following the money - here
We again are rejecting all Corporate PAC money, so we really rely on, and are extremely grateful for, your support. We’ll spend your donations on ways to expand our reach to as many voters as possible, including:
Postcards and other mailers and postage
Hand‑out cards for doors/events
Text messaging campaigns
Transportation costs for events and door-knocking
Campaign website costs
Radio ads, social media ads, and (hopefully) TV ads
Our campaign manager
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kris-williams-1
Finally, if you have anyone else in mind who would like to be added to our email list or who would be interested in volunteering, let us know at kriswilliamsforiowa@gmail.com!