Ripon College and CPP to host “Asylum and the Changing Face of Immigration” presentation

Breaking down misconceptions of the southern border, asylum-seeking process

RIPON, Wisconsin – Ripon College and the Center for Politics and the People (CPP) will host Kat Griffith, Fond du Lac County Board Supervisor and community leader, who will present on immigration and asylum-seeking in the Great Hall of Harwood Memorial Union at Ripon College, Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m.

Griffith has decades of experience working with refugees. In her presentation, she will break down misconceptions concerning the state of the southern border and the asylum-seeking process using various statistics and figures. Photographs will help tell the story of the detention centers she has visited that hold noncitizens awaiting court proceedings.

“In the last year, I have stepped up my presentations on asylum and immigration as the topic has become ever more important and polarizing,” Griffith said. “My presentation covers four things: a data dump (from CBP) on resources and personnel devoted to the border since 1990; stories of five asylum seekers; a tour of the border (tent camp, tent court, deportation flight); and the current situation (I am updating pretty continuously).”

Her interest in immigration policy and asylum began in Boston in the 1980s translating written statements from Salvadoran refugees fleeing the Civil War. After moving to Ripon, she interpreted and advocated for Mexican and Central American immigrants for a decade. Her involvement has led her to spend time at a border camp and witness a deportation flight.

Griffith’s work was published in the Ripon Commonwealth Press on the front page for 13 weeks, alternating individual stories of immigration, including what schools, hospitals, and law enforcement experience, the economics of migration and more.

This event is sponsored by the Ripon College Center for Politics and the People, the Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Throughout 2024, Americans have identified immigration as the most important non-economic problem,” Henrik Schatzinger, professor of political science and department chair and director of the Center for Politics and the People, said. “Border policy and refugee admissions are also highly polarizing topics. We look forward to hearing from Kat Griffith about these issues and discussing them with her.”

About Ripon College: Ripon College prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Our liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education.

About the Center for Politics and the People: The Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College was created to promote constructive political debate, analyze public policy and foster the engagement of citizens and their government. Students and faculty work together to plan meaningful events throughout
the year that attract policymakers, academics, experts, candidates and politicians to share their experience and expertise with the Center.

Posted September 20, 2024 in Political Publications, Special Event.

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