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Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah refugee resettlement program finds self-sufficiency amid federal funding cuts
Catholic Community Services' refugee resettlement program raised $1.5 million to keep assisting refugees amid federal cuts. (Courtesy of Catholic Community Services) It takes Aden Batar, the director of migration and refugee services at Catholic Community Services, at least a couple of minutes just to list all of the ways the refugee resettlement program he runs assists refugees coming to Utah. The program's goal has always been clear — to allow refugees to reach self-sufficiency amid extraordinary circumstances. The initiative has been alive for more than 45 years in the state, but after the Trump administration took charge this year, it was left without its most substantial funding source, federal funding — at least temporarily. The organization announced on Monday it will continue operating with the help of private donations amounting to more than $1.5 million. That's more than half of what the federal government funded before President Donald Trump signed an order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and freezing resettlement funding. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Utahns moved fast after Catholic Community Services announced in early April it was winding down its refugee resettlement program, which annually assists about 600 families in securing housing, jobs, school enrollment, health care, and provides mentorship to teach American laws, English, and other immigration resources. 'The families were coming from all over the world in every war that happened in the world, like, for example, the most recent war in Ukraine, Afghanistan, in Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Congo, many parts of the world,' Batar said. If the organization is able to raise $1 million more, it would allow them to transition to a smaller, self-sustaining program to keep on working on the mission for the next four years, Batar said. 'We're going to continue to support the families that we have that have come the last two years, and we're going to continue to support the families by providing the necessary services that they need,' Batar said. 'We want them to keep their housing. We want them to have a job so they can pay their bills.' The work of his office starts after the Department of Homeland Security grants entry to migrants fleeing conflict, providing the essentials, like a furnished home in anticipation of their arrival and food and later giving them tools to thrive in the country. 'While the program will operate at a reduced capacity, its core services—and the impact on the lives of those we serve—remain as vital as ever,' the organization wrote in a blog post. 'This transformation ensures we can uphold our mission while adapting to a changing national landscape.' Even with the abrupt freeze in funding, the organization hasn't turned anyone away. However, the program still took a big hit and had to lay off 50% of its staff. It's still uncertain whether the Trump administration will resume the admissions of refugees, with the executive order issued on Jan. 20 stating that it 'suspends the (U.S. Refugee Admissions Program) until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.' Within 90 days of the order, however, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State are required to submit a report to the president advising on whether to bring back the refugee admissions program. But, that deadline already passed on April 20, and Catholic Community Services can't wait for the funding to come back to keep its doors open, Batar said. There are roughly 70,000 refugees in Utah and the majority of them went through this program, he added. 'They are all productive members of our society. They successfully integrated into our community. They have jobs, they have businesses, they're doing really well. So the program is a life-saving program, and we would like this program to continue,' he said. 'We are appealing to our administration to open this program again, and so we could serve as many refugees as we can.' The organization is also asking the community to help raise the funds to continue the critical services that have helped thousands of refugees settle in the state for decades, Batar said, and to Trump to look at the issue from a compassionate point of view, and to allow the admission of new refugees in the country. 'We are here to help them. Our community wants to help them,' he said. 'But the administration has to allow the refugees to come.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah Catholic Community Services suspends refugee resettlement
Catholic Community Services of Utah is winding down its Refugees Resettlement program amid uncertainty about its future and a funding deficit created by new federal policy. While the agency plans to continue serving refugees already in its care, no new refugees will be served. The agency is asking Utahns for gifts of both time and other resources to see that those who have been recently resettled in Utah can get the help they need to adapt and thrive. Between Oct. 1, 2024 and January 22, 2025, 300 refugees were welcomed by the agency to Utah, part of the 125,000 approved nationally to come to the U.S. in 2025, said Aden Batar, the charitable organization's director of Migration and Refugee Services. Last year, 700 refugees were resettled in Utah with help from CCS, which is tasked with helping incoming refugees adapt to life in America. The agency arranges housing, utilities, helps refugees find jobs and navigate enrolling children in school and aids in other tasks during the initial period of resettlement. Now, with funding suspended, including money that was allocated but has been withdrawn, CCS Utah has already spent about $1 million the federal government no longer has clear plans to reimburse. And every month, CCS Utah incurs about $75,000 in housing-related costs alone, with no idea where the money will come from now, said Batar. He's hoping the community of caring Utahns will step up. The agency expects to provide some support to the new arrivals through mid 2026. 'Our goal is to keep people in their homes so they don't become homeless,' Batar said. 'We are desperately looking to the community to cover the gap.' He added that in the 30 years he's worked in this program, 'for the first time, I am worried.' Volunteers, especially the Refugee Family Mentors, are also an important piece in helping newly arrived refugees do well in their new country and community. The immigration program at Catholic Community Services represents unaccompanied minors — youths without parents, a close relative who can care for them or someone here with a provable claim to custody. There are now about 126 unaccompanied minors who are already in Utah, but whose cases are not yet completed in the courts and CCS Utah has the contract to represent them in immigration court. Without funding, those children's immigration court representation status is in limbo. Some of the children are 5 or 6 years old, said Batar, who noted he can't imagine how they could go to court and represent themselves. Last week the federal government terminated the contract that would help them, including by providing immigration attorneys to help complete their cases so they can be placed into the appropriate social service-type programs. The refugees who recently arrived and need help, including the unaccompanied minors, are the agency's two big needs at the moment, said Batar, adding the United States approved their arrivals and should be obligated to help them. When Donald Trump took office in January, he said he would pause refugee arrivals and within 90 days see how refugee resettlement aligned with U.S. interests. That 90 days is up April 20, but people working in the field of refugee resettlement don't know what to expect. The Refugee Act of 1980, approved by Congress, prevents 'zeroing out' the program entirely. The number of allowed arrivals and the categories are set each year. The Biden administration set the target number for last year at 125,000. Advocates for refugees have hoped that while there might be some changes as the program is reviewed and possibly scaled back or beefed up, as Batar put it — but no one knows what the future holds. Initially, refugee arrivals were canceled until an appeals court allowed those already at a certain stage in the process and were approved to enter the country. Meanwhile, CCS Utah has already let go of 25 employees and those who remain have big caseloads but few resources available to help the refugees resettle. While the resettlement program is winding down, other Catholic Community Service programs, including the Immigration and Refugee Foster Care will continue. So will the six Basic Needs programs in Salt Lake City and Ogden. In a news release, CCS Utah said it 'continues to adapt its services to meet the needs of Utah's most vulnerable populations.' For more information or to help, visit
