FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT DID YOU FACE IF YOU STAYED?

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

MORTE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

MORTE. DEATH. THE FATE A SYRIAN MAN BELIEVES WAS CERTAIN HAD HE NOT FLED THE WAR TORN COUNTRY. HE’S NOW LIVING IN WISCONSIN AWAITING ASYLUM. WE HEAR HIS STORY IN A MOMENT. I’M FREDERICA FREYBERG. ALSO TONIGHT, WE TALK WITH A WISCONSIN WOMAN WHO OVER-SEES IMMIGRANT REFUGEE SERVICES IN THE COUNTRY OF JORDAN. SHE JOINS US FROM AMMAN. AFTER THAT, A CHECK IN WITH LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES IN WISCONSIN AND HOW THAT ORGANIZATION WORKS TO RESETTLE REFUGEES. AND WE END THE PROGRAM WITH A WISCONSIN HOLIDAY TRADITION. ZAC SCHULTZ REPORTS FROM HIS FAMILY’S DEER CAMP. BUT FIRST WITH GOVERNORS LIKE OUR OWN TALKING ABOUT CLOSING STATE BORDERS TO SYRIAN REFUGEES AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSING A MEASURE TO PRESS “PAUSE” ON THEIR ENTRY BECAUSE OF THE FEAR THERE ARE TERRORISTS AMONG THEM. A LOCAL SYRIAN MAN, RECENTLY SETTLED HERE, REACHED OUT US. HIS MESSAGE: WHILE STRICT SECURITY PRECAUTIONS MAKE SENSE — THE U.S. SHOULD NOT REJECT THE REFUGEES. HE SAYS THEY ARE VICTIMS LIKE HE WAS.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 29-YEAR OLD MOUSA ALDASHASH IS OVERCOME WHEN THINKING OF THE MILLIONS OF REFUGEES FLEEING SYRIA, ESPECIALLY WHEN THINKING OF ONE THREE-YEAR OLD BOY WHO WASHED ASHORE A TURKISH BEACH.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] THIS KID AYLAN WHO GOT DROWNED, THE FAMILY PUT HIM IN A BOAT WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE. BUT TO THEM THE GROUND OF THE BOAT IS SAFER THAN THE GROUND THEY WERE IN, WHICH IS THE PROBABILITY OF DYING OR DROWNING IS VERY HIGH. HOW COULD THE WORLD LOOK AT THIS INCIDENT WITHOUT TAKING ANY ACTION OR DOING ANYTHING?

LITTLE GIRL:

[SINGING] TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALDASHASH HAS A CHILD JUST THAT AGE. SHE, HER PARENTS AND NEW BABY BROTHER NOW LIVING IN A SAFE AND PROSPEROUS SUBURB KNOWN AS THE “GOOD NEIGHBOR CITY.” VERY FAR FROM LIVES THE YOUNG FAMILY HAD KNOWN IN THEIR HOME IN HOMS, SYRIA — WHICH BECAME, HE SAYS, LIKE LIVING IN A VICE-GRIP BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND DEATH.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] THE LIFE IS JUST LIKE PEOPLE BETWEEN THE TWO JAWS OF A PLIER. YOU GOT TO GET SQUEEZED BETWEEN ISIS AND THE REGIME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALDASHASH AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAVE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS AND AWAIT ASYLUM IN THE U.S. THEY MADE IT HERE ON THEIR OWN. DRIVING SEVEN DAYS AND SWITCHING CARS THREE TIMES THROUGH DANGER ZONES TO REACH THE TURKISH BORDER AND THEN ON TO CHICAGO.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

I TOOK MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER FROM HOMS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE A REALLY CIRCUITOUS ROUTE TO–

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

TO AVOID ISIS, AL-ASSAD REGMINE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE FAMILY’S FLIGHT FROM SYRIA WAS CEMENTED AFTER ALDASHASH GAVE VIDEOS TO A LOCAL NEWS STATION SHOWING AN ACTIVE ASSAD MILITARY WHEN A NEGOTIATED PEACE PLAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PLACE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE SAYS, SNIPERS BEGAN SHOOTING OUT THE WINDOWS OF HIS HOME.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] I FLED OUT OF THE COUNTRY TO SAVE MYSELF AND MY FAMILY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IT MAY HAVE BEEN JUST IN TIME. ALDASHASH SAYS HIS HOUSE WAS BOMBED SOON AFTER HE LEFT, DESTROYING IT AND KILLING TWO MEMBERS OF A FAMILY WHICH HAD MOVED IN.

PAUL RYAN:

PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF THOSE FLEEING THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT THEY ALSO WANT BASIC ASSURANCES FOR THE SAFETY OF THIS COUNTRY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AS THE POLITICAL RHETORIC TURNED REFUGEES INTO POTENTIAL TERRORISTS FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS IN PARIS, MOUSA ALDASHASH WANTED TO SPEAK WITH US, TO PLEAD HIS COUNTRYMEN’S CASE.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

TAKE PRECAUTIONS. TAKE WHATEVER IT TAKES BUT DON’T MAKE THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA –THESE REFUGEES WHO ARE RUNNING AWAY FROM DEATH — TO CLOSE THE DOOR IN THEIR FACES AND THEY’RE ASKING FOR YOUR RESCUE, TO TELL THEM NO, GO DIE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HE CALLS IT SHOCKING IN A COUNTRY IMMIGRANTS THE WORLD OVER SEEK OUT FOR ITS DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOMS AND PROTECTIONS.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

LITTLE GIRL:

A, B, C, D

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AS FOR WHAT ALDASHASH WANTS FOR HIS OWN FAMILY’S FUTURE.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HE SAYS HE CANNOT PROMISE TO BECOME ANOTHER STEVE JOBS, WHOSE FATHER WAS A SYRIAN REFUGEE, BUT HE ALREADY HAS ACHIEVED HIS GOAL.

MOUSA ALDASHASH:

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] ALL I WANTED AND I GOT IT. TO BRING MY FAMILY TO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND PLACE. MAKE SURE THEY’RE GOING TO LIVE FAIRLY, SAFELY AND NO ONE COULD HARM THEM IN ANY WAY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALDASHASH SAYS HE EXPECTS HIS FAMILY TO SET AN EXAMPLE IN THEIR NEW HOME. TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY ARE GOOD AND DECENT LIKE SO MANY OF THE REFUGEES THAT HOPE TO FOLLOW. MOUSA ALDASHASH WORKS AT A CAR DEALERSHIP NEAR MIDDLETON. HE JOINS HIS BROTHER WHO MOVED HERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. HIS PARENTS AND A SIX YEAR OLD NEPHEW ALSO ESCAPED WITH HIM. THEY HAVE BEEN GRANTED ASYLUM. HIS LAWYER EXPECTS HIS WILL ALSO BE GRANTED. SINCE THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA BROKE OUT IN 2011, UPWARDS OF 250,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, INCLUDING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN. HALF THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION IS HOMELESS AND MILLIONS HAVE LEFT.