Immigrant support struggling amid funding cuts
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Federal budget cuts have forced layoffs and defunded services at Columbus immigrant support organizations, leaving the future of resettlement programs uncertain.
Why it matters: These organizations help people arriving in Central Ohio, particularly refugees, to acclimate, secure housing and find employment.
- Columbus is home to around 131,500 immigrants.
Catch up quick: In January, a Trump administration executive order froze federal funding for refugee resettlement.
- Days later, the administration attempted to freeze a variety of grants, loans and other financial assistance programs, but this effort was eventually halted in court.
- Those decisions and threats led to uncertainty among organizations like Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS), Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS) and Jewish Family Services (JFS), which rely on public funding for their work.
State of play: More than a month later, that uncertainty remains, but those organizations are already feeling the effects of funding cuts.
Case in point: At ETSS, the organization's entire resettlement department of 17 full-time employees has been laid off.
- Spokesperson Dianna Russell tells us ETSS has continued to provide services that are usually reimbursed by Global Refuge, a national resettlement office, without certainty of where funding will come from.
- Working with about 75 people, ETSS has incurred roughly $500,000 in expenses to put the group "in a deficit."
Between the lines: Meanwhile, JFS and CRIS are scrambling to avoid dropping services and cutting workers.
- JFS CEO Karen Mozenter tells Axios it has requested "a couple hundred thousand dollars" in reimbursement from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, its affiliated national resettlement office, but does not know whether that will be fulfilled.
- JFS has yet to lay off workers, but will "have no choice" if federal funding cuts proceed as threatened.
- CRIS has scaled back operations and laid off members of resettlement program staff.
The intrigue: In the meantime, Columbus has stepped in to close some gaps in refugee resettlement.
- Both Russell and Mozenter tell us the city is providing financial support by paying rent for newly resettled families.
- City spokeswoman Melanie Crabill confirmed that Columbus is connected with those organizations through the Homelessness Prevention Network, and is using Emergency Rental Assistance funds to help "when federal resettlement funds are unavailable."
What they're saying: Tariq Mohamed, JFS' director of new American services, tells Axios the impact of declining immigrant support could be "a very serious, significant problem" for Central Ohio business owners.
- "The business community has to really be aware of this, because without refugees and immigrants, honestly, I don't know what these businesses will do for their workforce."
Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect the population of immigrants living in Columbus (not Ohio overall).