Trump cuts ended a major refugee program in Virginia
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Refugees walking through Dulles Airport to a bus after evacuating Kabul following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
A major refugee resettlement program serving Richmond has indefinitely shut down after President Trump froze funding for a federal refugee program.
Why it matters: Thousands of refugees across Virginia, including over 900 kids, rely on that program for help with housing and food.
Catch up quick: The uncertainty began when Trump suspended a decades-old federal refugee resettlement program in late January and barred new refugees from entering the U.S.
- Shortly after, the federal funding nonprofits used to financially aid refugees who are already here stopped too.
- The money was typically used to provide at least 90 days of support with learning English, enrolling kids in school and finding work.
The big picture: There are six refugee resettlement agencies in Virginia. Two — Commonwealth Catholic Charities and the International Rescue Committee — specifically operate in Richmond.
- CCC has $750,000 worth of expenses, from refugee rental assistance to medical support, that now won't be reimbursed because of funding cuts, spokesperson Katie Dillon told Axios.
- The faith-based nonprofit, which additionally provides housing and foster care services across Virginia, also laid off 26 staff members, including nine in Richmond, Dillon said.
- That's more than half of the refugee resettlement team, reports The Virginian-Pilot.
By the numbers: CCC has resettled nearly 1,500 people in the Richmond area between 2019 and 2025, according to Dillon.
- Since October, IRC and CCC have resettled nearly 300 refugees in the Richmond area, per data from the Virginia Department of Social Services.
- Most are from Afghanistan, but Sudan, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are other common countries among Richmond's newest refugees.
The IRC didn't return Axios' request for comment by time of publication.
Between the lines: "There is often a misconception that refugees have somehow tricked the system or entered the country illegally," Dillon told Axios. "Refugees go through a long and arduous vetting process that often takes years."
What's next: A federal judge in February temporarily blocked the Trump administration from suspending the refugee program, but the Justice Department has warned it could take months to comply, the Washington Post reports.
- Meanwhile, CCC is turning to private donations to cover rent for newly arrived refugees through May. They're still working on paying for April rent, which is due in about two weeks.