State of Washington, et al., v. Trump., et al

Filing 97

DECLARATION of Howard N. Kenyon in Support of State of Oregon's Motion to Intervene filed by Plaintiff State of Oregon re 94 MOTION to Intervene Attorney Scott J Kaplan added to party State of Oregon(pty:pla) (Kaplan, Scott)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE

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CASE NO. C17-0141JLR

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STATE OF WASHINGTON, et al.,
Plaintiffs,

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DECLARATION OF HOWARD N.
KENYON

v.
DONALD J. TRUMP, et al.,
Defendants.

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I, Howard N. Kenyon, hereby declare and affirm as follows:
1. I am over the age of 18 and competent to testify.
2. I am the Chief Finance and Operations Officer of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. I
work at Ecumenical Ministries' office in Portland, Oregon.
3. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian
denominations, congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners
working together to improve the lives of Oregonians.
4. Since the 1970s, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon has assisted refugees from all over
the world. Many refugees come to Oregon fleeing persecution and countries tom by
war. Often, they arrive with no more than the clothes they are wearing.
5. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon assists approximately 600 refugees each year. Of
the refugees we assist, many have family members already in Oregon with whom
they are reuniting.
6. Almost one-half of our organization's budget is directed at refugee and immigration
services. More specifically, over one-fourth of our budget is spent on our Sponsors
DECLARATION OF HOWARD N. KENYON - 1

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
1162 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]

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Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) program. That program offers, among other

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things, community education, translation and interpretation services, cultural

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orientation, and English tutoring.

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Impact of Executive Order on Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Employees

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7. Our organization employs 12 people who assist with refugee resettlement in Oregon.

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If refugees are no longer permitted to enter the United States, Ecumenical Ministries

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of Oregon will have to terminate the employment of those 12 people.

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8. In addition, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon receives approximately $75,000 per
year in government funding for other staff in our organization who provide support

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for the refugee and immigration services. Our organization would lose that source of

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income if the refugee ban, imposed by President Trump's Executive Order of January

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27, 2017, remains in place. That loss of income may lead to staffing reductions in

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other areas.

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9. Because the long term impacts of the Executive Order are unclear, Ecumenical
Ministries of Oregon may not be able to rehire those same employees at a later date.

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I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

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Executed this

d day of February, 2017

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DECLARATION OF HOWARD N. KENYON - 2

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
1162 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301
Telephone: [phone]
Fax• [phone]