Crowd Fills Christ Church Cathedral for Refugee Event

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – So many people turned out Tuesday night to show support for refugees in Lexington that event organizers feared that fire codes would be violated at Christ Church Cathedral on Market Street.

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee settlement agency of The Episcopal Church, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, EMM’s local affiliate partner, and how to #SupportRefugees organized the event that was designed to educate people about the work that’s done daily in central Kentucky.

Organizers say it was not a rally or protest against President Donald Trump’s executive order that requires a 90-day waiting period for people from certain countries from entering the United States.

The groups say their offices have been busy contacting current and former refugee clients to answer questions about the ban, to provide words of comfort and support and clear up any confusion.

Speakers at the event talked about how refugee resettlement works, who refugees are and where they come from around the globe.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries says around 350 refugees are approved to be resettled in Lexington annually. Some of those refugees spoke at Tuesday night’s event.