Latest news with #Casazza
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge declines to reinstate refugee resettlement program funding for now
A federal judge declined to direct the Trump administration to reinstate funding for refugee resettlement programs after Catholic bishops challenged the freeze, but he signaled he might do so in the future. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, appointed by President Trump during his first term, said he would not grant the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) a temporary restraining order at this stage of litigation because it failed to prove irreparable harm. However, he said he would consider on an expedited schedule authorizing an indefinite pause on the administration's funding freeze, calling his ruling not 'conclusive at all.' 'This is very tentative,' McFadden said, setting a preliminary injunction hearing for Feb. 28. The USCCB on Tuesday sued to stop the Trump administration from halting funding for local organizations that partner with the federal government to support refugees once they arrive in the United States. The conference said more than 6,700 admitted refugees were assigned to the USCCB when its funding was cut off late last month, leaving the organization on the hook for millions of dollars weekly and forcing layoffs of employees. Some 5,200 refugees remain in its care for now, but the funding freeze has thrown that into uncertainty. David Casazza, a lawyer for the USCCB, said the conference has partnered with the government for more than 40 years, across presidential administrations, to provide legal refugees with support. But in one day, the rug was pulled up. He said the State Department owes the USCCB $13 million in outstanding payments, and since its funding was frozen, more than $11 million has been accrued due to the conference's 'moral obligation' to continue providing support. Instead of instantly cutting off the conference's funding, the State Department should have winded the program down by providing only refugees already in the country with the 90 days of aid they are entitled to support, Casazza said. 'That would have avoided all the collateral consequences that have been suffered here,' Casazza said. In court filings, the conference argued that refugees already in the United States could be cut off from support, making it more challenging for them to become 'productive members of society' in a contravention of Congress's statutorily expressed will. The State Department awarded the USCCB roughly $65 million for initial resettlement programs this year but justified the pause under Trump's executive order suspending foreign aid. Lawyers for the USCCB argued that the conference exclusively provides 'domestic assistance' to refugees who have been vetted by the government and are already legally in the country. But Joseph Carilli, a lawyer for the Justice Department, said the program is still classified as a foreign affairs program, impacted by the president's executive order. Carilli argued that the government's contract with the USCCB allowed for termination at any time, which would have resulted in similar consequences for the conference. He also noted that across different presidential administrations, the amount of aid and number of refugees have differed. 'There is an expansion and retraction that happens naturally,' Carilli said. The upheaval forced USCCB's Migration and Refugee services to send layoff notices to more than half of its staff; it expects additional cuts in local Catholic Charities offices partnered with the national office, according to the conference's lawsuit. Those terminations are set to go into effect on March 7. The Trump administration has also been sued by immigration groups over its suspension of new refugee admissions in a challenge that also addressed the abrupt cutoff of funding to those that aid refugees. Trump has issued a barrage of immigration actions since returning to the White House, ranging from restricting birthright citizenship to taking on so-called sanctuary cities. That, plus the administration's efforts to suspend parts of the federal budget, have come under intense legal scrutiny prompting nearly 80 lawsuits challenging major administration actions. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., federal district court, claims the freeze undermines Congress's power of the purse and violates multiple federal laws. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Judge declines to reinstate refugee resettlement program funding for now
A federal judge declined to direct the Trump administration to reinstate funding for refugee resettlement programs after Catholic bishops challenged the freeze, but signaled he might do so in the future. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, appointed by President Trump during his first term, said he would not grant the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) a temporary restraining order at this stage of litigation because they failed to prove irreparable harm. However, he said he would consider on an expedited schedule authorizing an indefinite pause on the administration's funding freeze, calling his ruling not 'conclusive at all.' 'This is very tentative,' McFadden said, setting a preliminary injunction hearing for Feb. 28. The USCCB on Tuesday sued to stop the Trump administration from halting funding for local organizations that partner with the federal government to support refugees once they arrive in the United States. The conference said more than 6,700 admitted refugees were assigned to USCCB when its funding was cut off late last month, leaving the organization on the hook for millions of dollars weekly and forcing layoffs of employees. Some 5,200 refugees remain in its care for now, but the funding freeze has thrown that into uncertainty. David Casazza, a lawyer for USCCB, said the conference has partnered with the government for more than 40 years, across presidential administrations, to provide legal refugees with support. But in one day, the rug was pulled up. He said the State Department owes USCCB $13 million in outstanding payments, and since their funding was frozen, more than $11 million has been accrued due to the conference's 'moral obligation' to continue providing support. Instead of instantly cutting off the conference's funding, the State Department should have winded the program down by providing only refugees already in the country with the 90 days of aid they are entitled to support, Casazza said. 'That would have avoided all the collateral consequences that have been suffered here,' Casazza said. In court filings, the conference argued that refugees already in the United States could be cut off from support, making it more challenging for them to become 'productive members of society' in a contravention of Congress's statutorily expressed will. The State Department awarded USCCB roughly $65 million for initial resettlement programs this year but justified the pause under Trump's executive order suspending foreign aid. Lawyers for USCCB argued that the conference exclusively provides 'domestic assistance' to refugees who have been vetted by the government and are already legally in the country. But Joseph Carilli, a lawyer for the Justice Department, said the program is still classified as a foreign affairs program, impacted by the president's executive order. Carilli argued that the government's contract with USCCB allowed for termination at any time, which would have resulted in similar consequences for the conference. He also noted that across different presidential administrations, the amount of aid and number of refugees have differed. 'There is an expansion and retraction that happens naturally,' Carilli said. The upheaval forced USCCB's Migration and Refugee services to send layoff notices to more than half of its staff; it expects additional cuts in local Catholic Charities offices partnered with the national office, according to the conference's lawsuit. Those terminations are set to go into effect on March 7. The Trump administration has also been sued by immigration groups over its suspension of new refugee admissions in a challenge that also addressed the abrupt cutoff of funding to those that aid refugees. Trump has issued a barrage of immigration actions since returning to the White House, ranging from restricting birthright citizenship to taking on so-called sanctuary cities. That, plus the administration's efforts to suspend parts of the federal budget, have come under intense legal scrutiny prompting nearly 80 lawsuits challenging major administration actions. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., federal district court, claims the freeze undermines Congress's power of the purse and violates multiple federal laws.
Boston Globe
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Something in the Way Fest celebrates indie rock, emo, and punk
'It's just a conglomeration of bands that we think are cool and important and people should know about,' says Run for Cover founder and owner Jeff Casazza. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The fest is a celebration of the (slightly belated) 20-year anniversaries of Run for Cover and The Bowery Presents, which both started in 2004. Soon after expanding to Boston in 2010, The Bowery Presents moved into the same Allston office building as Run for Cover, which specialized in the sort of college kid-approved, guitar-forward music the Bowery tended to book. A symbiotic relationship based in shared musical tastes soon formed, with the label's artists often booking their Boston dates in Bowery venues. Though both businesses have since moved out of the building (Bowery Boston is now based in Brighton, while Run for Cover went fully remote), the connection formed during that period remains strong. 'I can't really imagine who else we would have ended up doing this with,' Casazza says. 'We love Roadrunner; it's kind of the perfect place to see a band, in my opinion.' Balance and Composure singer/guitarist Jon Simmons, whose group returned from a four-year hiatus in 2023, remembers always looking forward to playing Boston on past tours. He's honored to be headlining a festival presented by his old friends at Run for Cover. Advertisement 'We used to crash with [Casazza], like five or six guys sleeping on his bedroom floor,' Simmons says. 'They've done a lot of things to help us through our career.' Balance and Composure never signed to Run for Cover, although the label did co-release a split 12-inch record with them and fellow Pennsylvania emo band Tigers Jaw in 2011 which Casazza calls 'a historical landmark for that time and scene of bands.' To Simmons, the absence of a formal partnership with Run for Cover only makes the endurance of their bond all the more impressive. 'We just stayed friends, and I think that's really cool,' Simmons says. 'There's no business aspect with us. That's hard to come by these days.' Fiddlehead will perform as part of Something in the Way Fest. Reid Haithcock Although none of the four headliners are Run for Cover artists, the Something in the Way undercard features plenty of the label's current crop, like local post-hardcore heroes 'You know, not every Slowdive fan is aware of Ovlov or They Are Gutting a Body of Water,' Casazza says. 'So, I think that there's going to be a decent [number] of people who see something that they haven't seen before and end up really enjoying it.' Just as important to Casazza was ensuring that fans could see every artist on the bill. He's very happy that the Bowery figured out how to fit a second stage in Roadrunner to make back-to-back sets possible. Advertisement 'We're at a time where a festival with 50 bands across one day is a common thing, so even if the lineup is incredible, you might be able to see seven or eight bands out of the 25 that you want to see, which ends up being a frustrating experience,' Casazza says. 'We're glad to be offering something different than that.' Beyond the main festival, Bowery Boston's smaller venue The Sinclair will host a sold-out pre-show headlined by Fiddlehead Friday night and a late show Saturday night featuring two generations of Boston indie rock in '90s shoegazers Drop Nineteens and modern slowcore outfit (and Run for Cover band) Horse Jumper of Love. Meanwhile, Casazza sounds ready to realize his original vision of Something in the Way as a yearly celebration, with the 2026 edition already in the works. 'We're glad to have a long runway for next year, because we definitely didn't plan for a year for this one and it turned out pretty great,' he says. 'Hopefully, we can expand outside of Roadrunner and do something a little bigger.' SOMETHING IN THE WAY FEST 2025 With Balance and Composure, Soccer Mommy, Slowdive, and American Football. At Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston, Feb. 1-2, 1 p.m., $150,
