Refugee nonprofits in the Triangle scramble to cover funding gaps
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Refugee resettlement groups across the Triangle are scrambling for funds and furloughing staff in response to new executive orders coming out of Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: Last month, the U.S. State Department suspended funding to groups that help refugees financially when they first enter the country in conjunction with the Trump administration's decision to halt refugee resettlement for 90 days, Reuters reported.
Driving the news: The freezing of State Department funds is hindering local groups from helping refugees who arrived shortly before the executive order, says Adam Clark, the executive director of World Relief Durham.
- His organization, and others like it, often help recently arrived refugees with support like rent assistance. They also provide money for food or connect them with community resources like English classes, medical support and jobs.
- World Relief Durham supported 419 families from 19 different countries in 2023, including refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
- Clark said his organization has raised enough donations to support 129 recently arrived refugees in the Triangle for February, but still has a shortfall for March and April, when the order is expected to freeze.
State of play: Clark said organizations like his were expecting drastic changes with the administration turnovers in Washington.
- The Trump Administration put a pause on the refugee program in 2017, but Clark said the freezing of funds for refugees already in the country was unexpected.
Zoom in: In response, local groups are making tough decisions.
- Church World Service of Durham is furloughing two-thirds of its staff, The News & Observer recently reported.
- Lutheran Services Carolinas said in a release it has had to halt its aid of refugees that have recently arrived in North Carolina.
- And while Clark declined to say if World Relief Durham had furloughed workers, he said the organization has had to make difficult staffing decisions because of the funding freeze.
What's next: Clark said World Relief Durham is still trying to get clarity on what the Trump administration's plans for refugee resettlement will be, but so far it's unclear.
- He's hopeful it will lift its stop work order after the 90 days, but bridging the existing funding gap that exists now is World Relief Durham's most critical need.