CLEVELAND, Ohio — Maliko Hamadi fled violence in his home country of Somalia and arrived in Cleveland with nothing but hope.
Today, he’s a Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy. But back then, his survival — and his ability to build a life here — depended on food assistance and Medicaid. Without that support, he might not have made it. Neither would thousands of others: Ukrainian refugees resettled in Parma, Congolese families escaping war, or survivors of domestic abuse and sex trafficking who came here legally, believing they’d found safety.
Now, they’re being punished…