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Refugees anxious over Trump presidency

Groups that help settle refugees in North Carolina say families have expressed fear in recent days that they will be deported as soon as President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

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DURHAM, N.C. — Groups that help settle refugees in North Carolina say families have expressed fear in recent days that they will be deported as soon as President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

"They didn't know whether this meant that America didn't welcome them as they were told it did, which is why them came," said Adam Clark, director of World Relief Durham. "Thankfully we were able to reassure them that refugees cannot be categorically deported or anything like that."

About 700 refugees are expected to be resettled in Durham this year.

"A number of people are somewhat fearful. They are very concerned that the election is an indication that some of the anti-immigrant sentiment that they heard thrown around in the campaign cycle are echoed by many more people than they believed," said Ellen Andrews, director of the Durham office of Church World Service.

Both groups said they don't know what to expect when Trump takes office, but they're staying hopeful.

"There's really a lot up in the air, and we don't know how this is going to impact us," Andrews said. "What won't change is we are firmly committed to assisting in the protection of the world's most vulnerable people, and we're going to keep fighting that fight."

The refugee groups said that people who want to make sure that refugees can keep coming to the U.S. and the Triangle should contact members of Congress and other elected officials to express support for resettlements.

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