Suspension of Foreign Assistance Funding Cuts Off Life-Saving Support for Communities in the U.S. and Overseas

The Trump administration abruptly froze funding for U.S. foreign assistance and issued an immediate stop-work order for resettlement agencies, effectively cutting off life-saving support for refugees and forcibly displaced populations in the U.S. and overseas. Refugee Congress vehemently opposes and decries these actions, which not only puts people living in the U.S. at risk of houselessness, but also erodes U.S. leadership and moral standing.

On Friday, the State Department ordered resettlement agencies to immediately suspend reception and placement services, which provide housing and subsistence support for newly-arrived refugees.

Refugee Congress understands firsthand the benefit and importance of these resources. Each of our members has direct experience of forced displacement. We were forced to leave our homes, we found safety in the United States, and because of the welcome we’ve received, we are motivated to continue to give back and support the well-being of our new communities. Refugees contributed more than $123.8 billion to the U.S. economy, of which wouldn’t have been possible without the support received upon arrival.

We  strongly urge the Trump administration to reverse course on this action and to uphold its moral and legal obligations to communities our nation has promised to protect. By halting funding for these critical programs and services, the United States is betraying its values of welcome and weakening its presence as a global leader in protecting at-risk populations. The Trump administration should revoke the stop-work orders, rescind the refugee and foreign aid bands, and quickly resume refugee processing and admissions.

“The Trump administration’s actions over the last five days have irresponsibly and dangerously put so many lives at risk — not just overseas, but right here in our own communities,” said Nili Sarit Yossinger, Executive Director. “These orders to cease funding for life-saving programs, to bar refugees and asylum seekers from accessing safety, and to tear families apart through mass deportations are not just inhumane -  they cast a dark and disturbing mark on the integrity and core values of who we are as a nation. We implore the Administration and Congress to immediately reverse these actions.”