>> Sreenivasan: REFUGEES LEAVE

THEIR HOME COUNTRIES DUE TO WAR,

POLITICAL PERSECUTION AND ETHNIC

VIOLENCE.

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS

REFUGEE AGENCY, THERE ARE NOW

MORE THAN 22 MILLION OF THEM

AROUND THE GLOBE, AND THE WAIT

CAN BE DECADES BEFORE A NEW

COUNTRY TAKES THEM IN.

THE UNITED STATES HAS ACCEPTED

THREE MILLION REFUGEES SINCE

1980, MORE THAN ANY OTHER

COUNTRY.

BUT NOW IT IS REVERSING COURSE,

SETTING THE LOWEST CAP ON

REFUGEES IN ALMOST 40 YEARS.

IN TONIGHT'S SIGNATURE SEGMENT,

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

PUBLIC RADIO STATION WNYC,

CORRESPONDENT MATT KATZ REPORTS

ON A LOVE STORY-- THAT OF A

MARRIED REFUGEE COUPLE SEPARATED

BY NEARLY 8,000 MILES-- AND BY

AMERICA'S NEW REFUGEE POLICIES.

THIS REPORT IS PART OF "CHASING

THE DREAM," OUR SERIES ON

POVERTY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

IN AMERICA.

>> Reporter: ANDRE TWENDELE'S

JOURNEY FROM CONGO TO THE UNITED

STATES BEGAN IN 2005.

AS A STUDENT, HE JOINED AN

OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTY THAT

RESISTED THE RULE OF PRESIDENT

JOSEPH KABILA, WHO HAS RULED THE

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

AUTOCRATICALLY FOR THE PAST 17

YEARS.

ANDRE SAYS KABILA'S TROOPS

ARRESTED HIM AND SEVEN

CLASSMATES FOR LEADING AN ANTI-

GOVERNMENT PROTEST.

FOR THREE DAYS, THEY WERE

DETAINED AND BEATEN AND

EVENTUALLY MARCHED INTO A

FOREST.

ANDRE HAD BECOME FRIENDLY WITH A

GUARD, WHO TOLD HIM WHAT WAS

GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.

>> SO HE TOLD ME THAT WHAT WE

ARE GOING TO DO IS TO KILL YOU,

BUT YOU WILL BE IN FRONT OF US,

BUT I WILL DO LIKE I SHOOT YOU,

BUT I WILL NOT SHOOT YOU.

BUT WHEN YOU HEAR ONLY THE

SHOOT, YOU HAVE TO FALL DOWN AS

OTHERS.

SO IT'S WHAT I DID THAT DAY.

>> Reporter: ANDRE WATCHED AS

HIS SEVEN FRIENDS WERE EXECUTED

IN FRONT OF HIM, ONE BY ONE.

WHEN IT WAS HIS TURN, ANDRE

PLAYED DEAD.

THE GUARDS LEFT THE BODIES IN A

DITCH AND FLED.

>> I WAS CRYING, I WAS CRYING,

WHAT HAPPENED?

>> Reporter: DID YOU CHECK TO

SEE IF THEY WERE ALIVE?

>> YEAH, I CHECKED BUT NOTHING.

>> Reporter: YOU TOUCHED THEM?

>> YES, I TOUCHED THEM, BUT ALL

OF THEM THEY WERE KILLED.

>> Reporter: ANDRE ESCAPED CONGO

AND ENDED UP TWO COUNTRIES AWAY,

IN MALAWI, AT THE DZALEKA

REFUGEE CAMP, PART OF HIS 11-

YEAR SAGA AS A REFUGEE.

THE CAMP IS RUN BY THE

GOVERNMENT OF MALAWI AND THE

UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY,

THE U.N.H.C.R.

THERE'S LITTLE ELECTRICITY,

REFUGEES HAVE NO INDOOR

PLUMBING, AND FOOD RATIONS ARE

LIMITED.

THE NUMBERS HERE HAVE SWELLED IN

RECENT MONTHS TO MORE THAN

33,000 PEOPLE, BECAUSE

RESETTLEMENT TO OTHER COUNTRIES

HAS SLOWED TO A TRICKLE.

THERE USED TO BE MORE THAN 1,000

PEOPLE A YEAR THAT

WOULD BE RESETTLED AROUND THE

GLOBE, MOSTLY TO THE U.S., BUT

THAT HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY.

ANDRE OPENED HIS APPLICATION TO

ENTER THE U.S. IN 2012, WHEN

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS WERE STILL

HIGH.

OFFICIALS FROM U.N.H.C.R. AND

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT INTERVIEWED

HIM AND VETTED HIS STORY OF

PERSECUTION.

IT TOOK ANDRE NEARLY FOUR YEARS

BUT FINALLY, IN 2016, 13 DAYS

BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S

ELECTION, HE WAS RESETTLED IN

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

HE NOW WORKS THE OVERNIGHT SHIFT

PACKAGING SEAFOOD FOR HIGH-END

SUSHI RESTAURANTS.

THE WORK IS PHYSICAL, COLD, AND

EXHAUSTING.

>> MY EXPERIENCE IS NORMALLY YOU

HAVE TO BE STRONG.

BECAUSE I'VE SEEN MANY PEOPLE

COMING THERE, AFTER THREE DAYS

THEY RUN AWAY.

>> Reporter: THE NIGHT SHIFT AT

TRUE WORLD FOODS IS MADE UP

ALMOST ENTIRELY OF REFUGEES AND

IMMIGRANTS.

ANDRE MAKES $11 AN HOUR.

>> WHAT I'VE SEEN HERE IN U.S.A.

IS WHEN YOU ARE ALONE, IT'S NOT

EASY.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A JOB

AND THAT JOB, THE WAGE IS NOT

TOO MUCH.

YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT YOU GET, YOU

SPEND IT, AND YOU HAVE NOTHING

AT ALL.

>> Reporter: BUT ANDRE IS

GRATEFUL TO BE SUPPORTING

HIMSELF.

BACK AT THE REFUGEE CAMP, WHERE

I VISITED THIS PAST FALL, ANDRE

WASN'T ALLOWED TO WORK.

MALAWI FORBIDS IT.

BUT THERE'S A THRIVING

UNDERGROUND ECONOMY IN THE CAMP,

AND ANDRE SOLD HOMEMADE CHARCOAL

TO BUY FOOD TO SUPPLEMENT THE

MEAGER RATIONS PROVIDED.

THE CAMP IS ALSO WHERE ANDRE

LEARNED ENGLISH, AND WHERE HE

EARNED A COLLEGE EQUIVALENCY

DEGREE WITH A NEAR 4.0 G.P.A.,

TAKING CLASSES IN INTERNATIONAL

STUDIES AND ECONOMICS.

THE CAMP IS ALSO WHERE ANDRE MET

LISETTE LUKOJI.

LISETTE'S STORY IS ALSO ONE OF

POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN CONGO.

SHE SAYS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

ARRESTED HER FIVE YEARS AGO

BECAUSE HER UNCLE HAD OPPOSED

PRESIDENT KABILA.

SHE WAS HOME AT THE TIME WITH

HER THEN-TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,

LORETTE.

SHE HAS NOT SEEN OR HEARD ANY

NEWS ABOUT HER DAUGHTER SINCE

THAT DAY.

>> (translated ): I DON'T EVEN

KNOW WHERE SHE IS.

I DON'T KNOW.

>> Reporter: LISETTE SAYS AFTER

SHE WAS LOCKED UP IN SOLITARY

CONFINEMENT, THREE GUARDS

SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER.

>> (translated ): THEY WERE

PLANNING ON KILLING ME, THEY

RAPED ME, I DIDN'T HAVE A

CHOICE.

ALL THREE RAPED ME AND LEFT ME

IN THE NIGHT.

>> Reporter: THEY THEN GAVE HER

A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY AND

RELEASED HER.

SHE ESCAPED CONGO, BAREFOOT, AND

EVENTUALLY MADE HER WAY TO THE

REFUGEE CAMP IN MALAWI, WHERE

SHE MET ANDRE.

>> (translated ): HE ASKED

ABOUT ME AND WHERE I WAS FROM.

AND MY FRIEND SAID, "SHE'S FROM

CONGO" AND GAVE HIM MY FULL

STORY.

HE ASKED IF I COULD LEAVE HER

WITH HIS NUMBER.

AND I SAID NO, I DON'T WANT A

NUMBER.

>> Reporter: LISETTE JUST WASN'T

INTO HIM, AT FIRST.

WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE HIM YOUR

TELEPHONE NUMBER?

>> (translated ): I DIDN'T EVEN

KNOW HIM!

>> Reporter: BUT HE SEEMED

INTERESTED IN YOU?

HE SEEMED CHARMING AND HANDSOME,

NO?

>> (translated ): EVEN SO, I

DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT.

>> Reporter: PLAYING HARD TO

GET?

>> UH HUH.

LIKE SHE DOESN'T LIKE TO TALK TO

ME, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> (translated ): HE WAS ALWAYS

ASKING MY FRIEND, "GIVE ME

LISETTE'S NUMBER, I NEED TO TALK

TO THAT GIRL!

I LIKE HER A LOT, I WANT TO

MARRY HER."

>> Reporter: SOON ENOUGH THEY

BECAME FRIENDS.

AND THEN SOMETHING MORE.

>> SOMETHING STRANGE COMES.

SOME FEELINGS OF LOVE, OR

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> Reporter: THEY GOT MARRIED IN

THE CAMP IN 2015.

HIS CHURCH BOUGHT HIM A SUIT.

SHE BORROWED A DRESS.

200 GUESTS ATTENDED.

BUT ANDRE THOUGHT IF HE AMENDED

HIS APPLICATION TO THE U.S. TO

INCLUDE HIS NEW WIFE, IT WOULD

DELAY HIS ARRIVAL.

>> I WAS JUST CRYING.

IT WAS LIKE A MIX OF FEELINGS AT

THAT TIME.

I WANT TO GO, AND MY WIFE IS

THERE, SO I WAS CONFUSED.

>> Reporter: THE NEWLYWEDS

ASSUMED THAT SHE COULD COME

QUICKLY ONCE HE WAS SETTLED IN

NEW JERSEY.

>> (translated ): WELL, HE

ASKED AND HE WAS TOLD THERE WAS

NO WAY TO DO THIS AND THAT IN

SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS IT WOULD BE

EASY TO GET ME THERE.

BUT NOW IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL EVER BE

ABLE TO JOIN MY HUSBAND.

>> Reporter: THAT'S BECAUSE

DONALD TRUMP HAS DRAMATICALLY

CHANGED U.S. REFUGEE POLICY,

EFFECTIVELY DELAYING ANDRE AND

LISETTE'S REUNION.

FIRST, TRUMP ENACTED A 120-DAY

BAN ON MOST REFUGEE ARRIVALS SO

NEW SECURITY PROTOCOLS COULD BE

IMPLEMENTED.

THE BAN AND NEW VETTING

REQUIREMENTS HAVE CLOGGED THE

PIPELINE FOR NEW ADMISSIONS LIKE

LISETTE.

SECOND, CITING CONCERNS THAT

TERRORISTS COULD ENTER THE

COUNTRY THROUGH THE REFUGEE

PROGRAM, PRESIDENT TRUMP CAPPED

THE NUMBER OF ENTERING REFUGEES

AT 45,000, THE LOWEST LEVEL

SINCE BEFORE THE 1980 REFUGEE

ACT.

IN HIS LAST YEAR IN OFFICE,

PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD SET THE CAP

AT 110,000.

THIRD, THE ADMINISTRATION

REASSIGNED SOME AMERICAN

OFFICIALS WHO HANDLED OVERSEAS

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS, ADDING TO AN

ALREADY MASSIVE BACKLOG ON THE

WAITING LIST.

SO IN THE MEANTIME, ANDRE TRIES

TO SETTLE INTO ELIZABETH, NEW

JERSEY, ACROSS THE HUDSON RIVER

FROM NEW YORK CITY.

ANDRE'S BEEN LIVING HERE IN THIS

NEIGHBORHOOD FOR MORE THAN A

YEAR NOW, WONDERING IF AND WHEN

HIS WIFE, LISETTE, WILL EVER BE

ABLE TO JOIN HIM HERE IN THE

UNITED STATES.

ELIZABETH HAS BEEN A PORTAL FOR

IMMIGRANTS FOR CENTURIES.

IT'S WHERE JARED KUSHNER'S

GRANDPARENTS SOUGHT REFUGE AFTER

THE HOLOCAUST, WHERE CUBANS

IMMIGRATED IN THE '70s AND '80s.

AND MORE RECENTLY, WHERE THE

CONGOLESE REFUGEE COMMUNITY IN

NEW JERSEY IS CENTERED.

ANDRE LIVES IN A ONE-BEDROOM

APARTMENT WITH TWO OTHER

CONGOLESE REFUGEES.

HE GETS TOGETHER WITH OTHERS AT

OCCASIONAL GATHERINGS, FOR

PRAYERS, SINGING AND FOOD FROM

HOME.

LIKE AT THIS CONGOLESE

INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY LAST

SUMMER.

>> ALL CONGOLESE ARE EATING

THIS IN OUR COUNTRY.

>> Reporter: ELIZABETH HAS

BECOME THE DE FACTO CAPITAL FOR

REFUGEES IN NEW JERSEY IN PART

BECAUSE THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE

COMMITTEE HAS ITS STATE OFFICE

HERE.

THE NONPROFIT HELPS REFUGEES

LIKE ANDRE ADAPT TO THEIR NEW

LIVES FROM THE MINUTE THEY LAND

IN AMERICA.

ALISON MILLAN IS THE AGENCY'S

NEW JERSEY RESETTLEMENT

DIRECTOR.

>> IT MEANS EVERYTHING FROM

PICKING THEM UP AT NEWARK

AIRPORT, BRINGING THEM BACK TO A

FURNISHED APARTMENT, PROVIDING

THEM THEIR FIRST HOT MEAL IN THE

COUNTRY AND CONNECTING THEM WITH

KEY SERVICES AND SYSTEMS HERE IN

THE UNITED STATES.

>> WHO WOULD LIKE TO READ THE

PARAGRAPH?

>> Reporter: THE AGENCY RUNS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES AND

CULTURAL ORIENTATION COURSES,

AND HELPS REFUGEES FIND JOBS,

SOMETIMES ACCOMPANYING THEM ON

JOB INTERVIEWS.

IS YOUR TASK KIND OF HELPING

TURN THESE REFUGEES INTO

AMERICANS?

>> I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S TURNING

THEM INTO AMERICANS.

I THINK OUR JOB IS TO BOTH

CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY THAT

REFUGEES BRING AND THE

EXPERIENCES THEY BRING AND HELP

THEM INTEGRATE INTO THEIR NEW

COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS

EDUCATING THE COMMUNITIES WHERE

WE'RE RESETTLING THEM IN ABOUT

WHO REFUGEES ARE.

>> Reporter: THE I.R.C. HELPED

ANDRE FIND HIS JOB AT THE

SEAFOOD DISTRIBUTOR.

ANDRE SENDS PART OF HIS $440 A

WEEK SALARY TO LISETTE.

AND HE TRIES TO SAVE FOR THEIR

FUTURE.

BUT MOSTLY HE JUST PAYS HIS

BILLS.

>> I KNOW THAT THIS ONE IS FOR

RENT, THIS ONE IS FOR FOOD, THIS

ONE IS FOR CLOTHES, THIS ONE IS

FOR ELECTRICITY, FOR GAS, AND

THIS ONE IS ALSO FOR MY WIFE.

>> Reporter: YEAH, MM-HMM.

>> IF SHE COMES HERE, I'M

WORKING, SHE'S ALSO WORKING, I

THINK IT WILL BE BETTER.

U.S.A. IS A NICE COUNTRY.

>> TO GET LISETTE HERE, THROUGH

THE REFUGEE PROGRAM.

>> Reporter: ANDRE IS WORKING

WITH THE I.R.C. TO TRY AND GET

LISETTE HERE AMID THE NEW

RESTRICTIONS ON REFUGEE

ADMISSIONS.

>> I THINK THERE'S JUST,

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF

UNCERTAINTY AND QUESTIONS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING IF THEY

DO HAVE PETITIONS LIKE ANDRE

DOES FOR REUNIFYING WITH FAMILY,

OR THEIR FAMILY HAVE CASES IN

THE PIPELINE FOR RESETTLEMENT IN

THE U.S., WILL THEY BE ABLE TO

COME, WHEN WILL THEY BE ABLE TO

COME?

AND UNFORTUNATELY MOST OF THE

TIME IT'S MORE QUESTIONS THAN

ANSWERS THAT WE HAVE.

>> HELLO LISETTE.

>> Reporter: FOR NOW, ANDRE HAS

TO SETTLE FOR PHONE CALLS.

HE USED HIS FIRST PAYCHECKS TO

BUY LISETTE A PHONE.

HE EVEN SKIPPED SOME MEALS TO

SAVE THE MONEY.

NOW, THEY SPEAK MULTIPLE TIMES A

DAY.

DURING BREAKS AT WORK, AND BACK

HOME ON THE WEEKENDS.

>> ONE DAY LISETTE WILL COME

HERE.

I'M SURE.

>> Reporter: YOU'RE CONFIDENT OF

IT?

>> YES, I'M CONFIDENT SHE WILL

COME.

WITH GOD'S HELP MY WIFE WILL BE

HERE, MAYBE WE CAN ALSO BUY A

HOUSE.

YEAH, AND I HOPE SO THAT ONE DAY

WE'LL HAVE KIDS.

I-- I CANNOT SAY THAT MY DREAM,

MY DREAM BECOMES REALITY NOW,

BECAUSE MY WIFE IS NOT YET HERE.

BUT I HAVE THAT CHANCE TO LIVE A

GOOD, A BETTER LIFE.