* Since 2001, the US has received an average of 50k refugees every year and making provisions for 125k in 2023
* An average of 60% of refugees arrive in the US with little to no English.
* Refugees have 1 year then will apply for permanent visas.

* Over 771k applications for long term migration into the US were approved in 2022.
* Also in 2022, most estimate that over 1.2 million undocumented immigrants entered the US
* That’s nearly 2 million people that moved to the US with intention of long term stay and with little to no access to life and health resources. .

* In 2018, SC recorded over 256,000 registered immigrants in the State. That number is estimated to have doubled in the 5 years since.


* South Carolina has been federally approved to receive 600 refugees for both 2023 and again in 2024.

* Local schools in the Summerville and Goose Creek area are teaching ESL for new arriving students; teachers report having students who speak over 20 different languages in their classrooms.

* Several years ago, Lutheran refugee services had closed its Charleston office. Due to political turmoil worldwide, in 2021 Lutheran reopened their Charleston office. In 2021-2022, over 100 refugees resettled in Charleston.