We'll.

The challenge of making immigrants and refugees feel welcome in the cities.

I'm Jim Mertens this week on the city's.

We take a look at what QC er is doing to make sure that people from other countries feel safe in this country.

It all comes as East Moline host a party of many nations.

Join us for the city's Sunday at four on the city's public television station.

Wqpt.

We're seeing widespread efforts to make sure But is it going too far?

This is a celebration.

Is planned to celebrate all cultures in the cities.

We'll.

illegal immigrants are forced to leave the country.

The Quantity Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, known as QC air, is one of the leading advocates for immigrants and refugees in our community.

It has met some of the challenges brought on by the stricter immigration enforcement head on, and it continues to counsel people on how to best protect their rights.

But the nationwide enforcement is growing bigger, with immigration and customs agents showing up at events, people being detained during regular immigration check in meetings.

And states like Iowa are getting more involved in helping the federal government increase its immigration laws.

And joining us is the citizenship director of IR, Isaac Carr.

It's a very different time right now for refugees and migrants throughout America and in the Quad Cities.

What are you hearing?

I mean, is there a real fear right now?

There is lots and lots of real fear, and most especially on the Iowa side, as compared to the Illinois side when the current administration took over.

And many people knew that these things were going to happen, but they were very uncertain and how to handle them immediately.

We all started to restrategize as why is this administration changed?

Why should we put in place?

So we said, I'd like push everybody in with law schools and law firms and local authority until we came up with, you know, little issues and way forward.

So we started to implement them little by little.

But when you look at how Iowa operates and how it operates, most immigrant migrant prefer to live on the Illinois side as compared to Iowa.

I was going to ask that too.

I mean, do you see a lot of, migrants and refugees actually now leaving Iowa to live in Illinois because they believe it's safer?

Yes.

Yes.

Does that surprise you?

I am not surprised.

The thing is, before these people left their country, I know these definitions are hard for people to understand.

So Liberia, where I came from, went to a civil war, and we had to keep explaining the difference between a World War one, World War two, and all the different wars and what caused a civil war.

How civil war is between people in their own country.

So if a country goes to civil war and people flee and cross international border, they relocate to a new place for temporary time.

If they are not needed in that area.

The people who live in that area say, we don't want you in the country.

Your presence may cost us something else.

That's when you get.

We call the resettle to another country.

That's where, organizations like War Relief plays a major role when people leave.

What part of the war like Ukraine today?

Afghanistan today.

Sudan.

Gaza area.

They come through.

Either they can be released services, depending on where they are, what we leave through Baltimore, Chicago or the city.

And then when they get here, it's a different ballgame.

So migrants are people who says, something wrong is going on in Wisconsin, in California.

It could be cartel in California.

It could be the natural disaster of all the wildfire and, you know, rain.

They're pushing people.

So you see the, kind of roads or vehicles or people walking a movie when they get to one location from California to maybe Nevada or somewhere or another fire, somebody outbreak.

They keep moving something.

Just keep pushing them until when they get to Iowa or Illinois, they can settle and say, we are finally safe.

We feel safe.

And then the people tell you, we don't want you here.

Then they gotta keep moving.

So these migrate left their countries of origin with so many different definition because they are not from one country.

Some came to see them fracture.

Others came because they are fleeing from something in their country.

And so people, government and new policy like put everybody together, like, you know, why everybody has to be deported if you get deported to a place that you fled or because you spoke against a government or something that went wrong or right, and people put you, you know, you're going back to hell and those are all the so people who settled in Illinois today, far better chances of survival.

Iowa, the police as a security network, they can arrest you as a driver.

Having me with green card or temporary documents say you are not supposed to carry anybody with temporary documenting a vehicle, and they cannot arrest both of you.

So if I became a citizen by naturalization, I can be stripped of my naturalization, citizenship as well.

So all of these fears.

So we who are, naturalized citizen and live in peacefully are also at risk.

And so where I am, I risk and, a friend, a pastor, never.

You also fear risk.

And you came to America willingly.

Because of what?

What did you hear about America that made you think this was a place you wanted to come?

America.

Has that changed?

It has changed.

It has changed.

America first was built of immigration.

And we know that many, many years ago, Christopher Columbus, the Native American story, the pilgrims and on and on and on and in for how I ancestors were brought in as slave.

And they said, oh, you know why I am not in America?

I'm going to bring my son or nephew.

So when you see America, you see Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, dusty America, you see everybody is going to a factory bringing home extra money to feed their family and a growing society where a growing society of harmony, where people could live together in peace, where a lot of changes have occurred.

Modern civilization, going from cessation of farming to making our family industrial farming, you know, people like, wow, when I was here, where I grew up, people were just doing this, but now they're doing it at a, you know, mass level.

This is something we can all learn.

So people see America as a place where we can strive and grow and develop that everybody can be able to get along.

And America was looking like the biggest peacekeeper in the world, that when there is a war in Israel, America was this time, that's the right.

And then everybody else will support the process.

If there's a war going on in Sudan and all the African nations will say, we going to stop America, say, yeah, we support you, we all going to stop and everybody will stop.

But now we see that we are at war with each other, with ourselves.

Is coming is not the definition of what America was, is not anymore.

The start status instead of statute of liberty, the status of labor, the freedom to free speech.

It's not what we see anymore.

What are you telling the other people that might be coming to America?

Are you telling them now?

Don't come.

People don't understand that.

Not everybody will understand that.

According to biblical principle, when the internship come, we will see so many signs of oneness, so many signs that some things will be happy.

The unbelievable rain, fire de weed, America's seas, the actuality of the rain and fire raining on America.

All we only think is natural disaster.

Why do we have.

Why fire every day?

Why do we have tons and tons of rain every day?

Is this something relational that the that God is telling America to listen to?

Israel is a war.

The greatest nature that has Jesus Christ footprint is a war every day unstable.

So people outside of the United States who wants to immigrate to America.

I like if we go to America with Debbie Peace.

Do we still see green pasture?

But will there be peace?

So a lot of people, fear in now to ever come to America like that.

Tell me about QC.

Er, because you've been associated now with six for six years, with an organization that that is helping, migrants and immigrants every single day to, to get, acclimated to America, get acclimated to the Quad Cities, because the culture here is much different than, as you pointed out, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas.

What what service do you think that you provide that that's making a difference?

First of all, I want to say to, citizenry in the city, thank you so much for be a where call me area for immigrants, a refugee.

For over 19, 20 years that I live in this area I never experience and then push back for anybody.

I have been so love my family, my kids, and we grew up in a very great atmosphere.

So even working, volunteering for QC, er was one of my greatest good.

Because I know that when you move to a new a location where the language spoken is not your official language, where navigating the system is hard, makes people like us who work for a nonprofit or humanitarian organization like what we leave er, capital of farm.

And all of this group makes a unique for us.

We do help these people to show them the way.

When you get here, what are the steps that are needed to keep your life stable?

The path to be on your right path of stay in this country.

This is point A, this is point B, this is point C, and you have to walk on this path.

If you require of anything from somebody and they tell you to wait, you have to wait.

When they tell you you will get it.

This time.

You have to abide by those rules.

So we give you the A to Z.

When you follow the A to Z, you are free.

And that's why we do.

And that's why we teach people when they get here.

That's why God help people to integrate into the city.

We're talking, about Harmony Fest that's coming up as well, in East Moline and we also talked, earlier to, the East Moline School superintendent.

And he's talking about there's 40 languages that spoken in the school system.

Harmony Fest is going to be representing so many different, continents.

Do you think the people in the Quad Cities are surprised at how many different nations are actually represented here already?

I will tell you that you we may think that these people doesn't know, but people are not surprised to know the presence of different nations in the area, because almost every nation in the area may have an activist church, Agnes grocery store.

Everybody go every every almost everybody.

Kids go to school.

And that's how they kind of determine the data of what is happening.

Plus everybody goes to hospital clinics.

And so all this information we gather from there, so we all know who's in the area and how we can get to some of them.

And that's how this whole system work.

Are you still proud to be in America?

Are you still optimistic, of where this country's headed?

I am always proud to be an American.

I am always proud to help change the system.

I'm always proud to fight, to continue to bring peace to the world and bring peace to the Quad City.

Always.

Our thanks to Isaac Carr, the citizenship director for QC, IR, the Quad City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees.

A little earlier, you heard about the planned Harmony Fest being sponsored by QC air and the East Moline Main Street Association.

It's being held on Sunday, August 17th.

And joining us to talk about it is Main Street Association President Patricia Hansen.

So Harmony Fest is coming up.

It is a go.

Tell me why.

It's, I mean, tell me why it's important to hold this festival.

With all the cultures in the Quad Cities, let alone just East Moline, the amount of languages they speak in our school systems, it's just amazing to me.

And so incredible.

So we just want to make sure that we, with our events and with our outreach and with the Main Street partnerships that we're reaching, everyone and everyone in the Quad Cities, everyone in East Moline feels welcome.

So this is our second year, and East Moline really is kind of a melting pot of a lot of different cultures.

I mean, it's almost a minority majority community.

I mean, it is a lot of minorities live in East Moline.

There there is.

And it's I mean, I learn something new every day, whether it's from the community or from a business owner.

Just having that the beauty of the culture and the experiences and all of that is just so wonderful.

But as you know, there's been a number of festivals this past year that have been canceled because of fear of Ice agents being there or just that, that, that it's a risk for minorities to be gathering in one location.

And you know, that you've heard that.

Is that a reason why Harmony Fest is more important to be held now than ever before?

We ran it.

We ran into the same thing with our, Cinco de Mayo Taco Margarita fest.

We had several vendors, community members say, you know, should you have this?

Should you not?

Again with Harmony Fest.

And, we want the community to feel comfortable if they are not comfortable coming this year, we understand.

But canceling things I think makes the wrong people win at this time.

So I think we just need to keep moving forward.

It potentially is going to be a tiny bit smaller this year, because we have had a few people, whether it's entertainers, whether it's vendors that are just not 100% comfortable.

I'm hoping 2026 that tensions ease and that people are much more comfortable and feel like rejoining us because we're going to be here for them.

Was there ever a thought, perhaps, that maybe we should cancel this because of these fears?

We discussed it very briefly.

I think, you know, it is such a wide variety of people in our community.

You look out, across the crowd, it seems like a family reunion.

It seems like, United Township high school reunion.

You know, there's schoolmates that haven't seen each other for a while, so it's just for the people that don't want to miss it.

We didn't want to cancel.

And as you said, I mean, it really is a world wide experience because I know that you advertise that, you know, Harmony Fest represents Europe and South America, and you're naming all of the continents and all of the countries.

It's it's not just one group of people.

No.

It's not.

My favorite part of the event is we parade 40 flags in from the very beginning.

And I have to say that there were a lot of non dry eyes last year when that happened.

It's such a beautiful representation.

And if you have the chance to even just come down at the very beginning, it starts at one that that first little bit is so incredibly moving.

I personally would hate to miss it.

So again, why the decision to continue on?

You know, we will get through this together and we will come out the other side 1:00 until 8:00 at night.

So there's there's something for everyone.

Tell me a little bit about let's start with the food.

Because when you think of different cultures, you definitely think of the food, right?

We have I think there's probably ten food vendors this year.

East Moline Main Street also is going through raised grant construction.

So I am battling a little bit of that this year.

So, we didn't go as quite as big as we maybe could have with food vendors, but there's still something for everyone.

Some amazing desserts, incredible food.

The entertainment we have dancers and performers.

And smooth groove closes out the night from 5 to 8, which is a local band, I love them.

For kids, we'll have a kids area, free face painter, balloon artists, magicians, all paid for by us.

So for the families, it's not an inconvenience.

Again, at this time, there's a lot of families struggling.

So you could come down and not spend a lot of money or not spend anything.

Just enjoy the day.

How important is it that it's a family event?

Because I think in some ways that's really what you're trying to attract, is bringing more families together.

Absolutely.

You know, the families.

And then for me, the young entrepreneurs.

So East Main Street, if you're a young entrepreneur and you would like to sell, whether it is, you know, the cool bracelets or whatever, you are always welcome to have a table for free.

We want to, you know, help those young and to partners get their feet on the ground, have them see what it's like.

I have a few parents that come with the kids, and they're, just really letting the kids take the forefront, which I think is really important.

Now, you had the Main Street Association for East Moline, and as you alluded to, there's construction going on.

There's the whole linking of of, help me out to the Rust Belt and the rest belt.

And I did that, that one of the three, short term.

It's a pain.

Yeah.

Long term.

You got to be pretty excited.

So excited.

So one of the biggest things for, my organization, my board, myself, the volunteers that we've had for years, the small businesses downtown is that there's going to be a gateway signage that now will say Main Street.

So that's just, you know, that alone, that alone just is kind of the legacy will have the, canton lights across the street.

More lighting, of course, makes people feel safer if you light it up.

Well, and you already have that meeting ground for for runners Park, of course, which, which wasn't around many years ago.

So, I mean, you have that focal point in downtown and you could build from there, it seems.

Yeah.

We use Runner's Park kind of as the anchor and just go both directions off of that.

So that kind of is, is one of the spots that we build from.

But for 2026, we will be moving our events up and down, you know, so that the businesses on the east end of 15th Avenue will have some events down there that businesses on the other side of seventh Street south from 6 to 7 will have some events there.

So we're going to keep things moving so that every business feels like we have something in their block, and not just focusing only on the runners Park area.

One last pitch harmony fest coming up.

It is Sunday from 1 to 8 near Runners Park.

There will be, I think I have over 35 vendors, over ten food vendors.

It's going to be a great day, beautiful show, vibrant colors, beautiful culture and your friends and neighbors bring them all.

Our thanks to Patricia Hansen, president of the East Moline Main Street Association.

America is turning 250 years old.

And from now until next July 4th, we're featuring people in the cities who are making a difference in their community.

It's their civic spark, what drives them to make our area better for all of us.

And we ask that of Cindy Diehl Yang, president and CEO of the Putnam Museum.

What's your civic spark?

I got involved with museums because I like how much they work to connect themselves with the public, and especially at the Putnam Museum, we work with history and with science, which really talks about the innovation of the past and how that can help us learn about the innovation of the future.

And I think that type of connection from the past to the future is so important to our communities to know about.

Our thanks to Cindy Diehl Yang of the Putnam Museum for sharing her civic spark on the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device, and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us.

As we talk about the issues on the city's.