As U.S. refugee cap drops, a St. Louis race takes on new urgency 59%
By Miya Norfleet0% Alex Heuer0%
4/15/2026, 5:00:00 AM
Topics: Radio Episode
BS Summary: This article contains 26 faulty reasoning types, including Post Hoc (False Cause), Optimism Bias, and Appeal to Emotion, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 13.4% saturation with 109 hits. Analysis detected 1,067 faulty-reasoning hits from 812 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 55.5% and a BS Rank of 59% (6,955 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 58.60% of the article peer group.
Avid runners enjoy different auditory experiences.
Some run in complete silence, and others run with hype music playing through headphones to get them through their exercise.
Olivette resident and preschool teacher Heather Huewe runs with public radio streaming through her headphones.
Little did she know, a 2017 newscast about one of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders would lead her to launch the annual Race for Refugees in St.
Louis.
“One of his very first moves was the ban on seven Muslim-majority countries.
I was just so upset.
I remember running up that hill on Skinker going south thinking: ‘I have got to do something.
I can’t just vote.
I can’t just be upset.
I can’t just talk about it,’” she said.
“I’ve been a runner for 30 years, I’ve run races for charity before.
I coach Girls on the Run, and I thought, ‘This is something I know.’
I thought of all the elements that go into a great race.
Of all the connections that I’ve made over the years as a teacher [and] a lifelong St.
Louisan.
Once I got to the car, I started texting friends, family, seeing who would help, and we would figure it out together.”
Once Huewe, her family and friends combined their resources and connections, they hit the ground running to organize their first 5K run.
Huewe and her collaborators hoped for 100 runners.
More than 600 people showed up that first year to support immigrant services at the International Institute of St.
Louis.
Runners make their way through the 5k course of Race for Refugees in Tower Grove Park in 2025.
Registration numbers have grown throughout the years.
Samson Hillary was introduced to Race for Refugees at the fourth annual race.
He chose Race for Refugees as his first 5K because he and his family are refugees from South Sudan.
He now serves as the race’s organizer and donor relations coordinator at the International Institute.
“I started getting into [running], and I was like, ‘Well, I need to try out a race.’
And I looked for races, but there was nothing that connected me to the race, to the mission, to just get me excited,” Hillary said.
“I saw Race for Refugees and was like, ‘Well, I’m a refugee.
Let’s go find out what this is all about.’
That moment has been transformational for me.
… I have never really felt part of the St.
Louis community, but I felt part of the Race for Refugees committee.
I got to meet so many people [and] so many friends.
The community is just out of this world.”
Hillary added that the race taking place in Tower Grove Park is a reflection of the race’s commitment to that community.
“The fact that it’s right by South Grand — right where the International Institute is [and] where most of the immigrants and refugees are resettled — makes it more of a close-knit, tighter community,” Hillary said.
In Trump’s second term, his administration has continued to tighten U.S. refugee policies.
Huewe said that such actions have continued to bring more people to the race.
“The way that people are being treated goes 100% against everything I teach my students and my own children.
That’s why I think it’s so important to care about others and care about those more vulnerable than us,” she said.
“I think a lot of us who care are trying to make sure that this does not start feeling normal.
We’re just trying to figure out what we can do, so [this race] is the day where we are doing something and coming together.”
“[Participants] are helping some of the most vulnerable people, period,” she added.
Runners of all experience and background are welcome to participate in the 5K race and one-mile fun run.
Runners can register in person as late as Saturday morning before the race begins, but preregistration is highly recommended.
“It does not matter if this is your first time or 100th time,” Hillary said.
“You’re welcome in our community, and we’re glad for you to be part of it.”
For more with Heather Huewe and Samson Hillary, including what they are most looking forward to in this year’s Race for Refugees, listen to “St.
Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Race for Refugees
When: 9 a.m.
April 18
Where: Sons of Rest Pavilion in Tower Grove Park, 3619 Southeast Drive, St.
Louis, MO 63110
“St.
Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St.
Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region.
The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer.
Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant.
The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
Analysis
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