President Trump Extinguishes U.S. Resettlement Program, Shutting the Door on Refugee Protections and the Refugee-Serving Nonprofit Community

Washington, DC – In response to news reports that the State Department is terminating its contracts with nonprofit organizations who serve refugees in the United States and support the U.S. government in refugee processing overseas, Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) unequivocally condemns the Trump administration for the cruel impacts of this move.

On the same day that Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts permitted President Trump to extend the funding freeze on foreign aid, pursuant to Global Health v. Trump litigation, the State Department issued the termination of thousands of awards that provide State Department- and USAID-administered foreign assistance. The termination notices apply to the resettlement agencies’ agreements to provide Reception and Placement (R&P) core services for refugees already arrived in the United States, as well as several of the Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs) that help process and support refugees who are being vetted for U.S. resettlement.

“The American people, many of them motivated by the deeply held tenets of their faith, continue to favor welcoming the stranger and providing support for those fleeing persecution. But in halting refugee protections and the U.S. resettlement program, President Trump is extinguishing the flame on Lady Liberty’s lamp. These abrupt and unlawful contract terminations are the latest and most devastating step in the evisceration of refugee-serving and community-based nonprofits – many of which are faith-based organizations – and they represent the de facto death of the 45-year old U.S. Refugee Admissions Program as we know it. This is a devastating blow to the most vulnerable refugees in the U.S. and overseas – and an insulting slap in the face to the congregations, communities, and nonprofits that welcome them. The Trump administration’s actions have already decimated our communities’ capacity to welcome refugees, with many resettlement agencies reporting furloughs and layoffs on a massive scale. In the face of this frontal assault on our humanitarian and religious values, American communities must rise up and urge their national, state, and local elected leaders to pressure the federal government to fully restore these programs,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA (RCUSA).

Earlier this week, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking President Trump’s indefinite suspension of the U.S. resettlement program, pursuant to Pacito v. Trump, filed by three national and local faith-based refugee-serving agencies and nine individuals to challenge the Executive Order (EO) that abruptly and indefinitely halted refugee resettlement. The Pacito case also addresses the administration’s withholding of congressional-appropriated funds for resettlement services. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead indicated that the administration’s immediate suspension of refugee processing and admission “crossed the line from permissible discretionary action to effective nullification of congressional will.” Despite this court order, no refugees are being processed, no refugees are arriving, and no services already provided to them have been reimbursed.

Media contact: Mariam Sayeed, msayeed@rcusa.org 

RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. This statement does not necessarily reflect the views of each individual RCUSA member organization.

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