Latest news with #RefugeeResettlementProgram
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most of $878M Florida Gov. DeSantis ‘returned' to feds was for refugee services: letter
On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was returning $878.1 million in federal money back to the federal government – but more than half of that is coming from a program for refugee social services. Moreover, the $557.7 million DeSantis is 'returning' is simply the amount authorized by the federal government for Florida to spend on the Refugee Resettlement Program. The program aids the transition of refugees fleeing war and oppressive regimes across the globe into U.S. society, offering an array of services, including English language courses and help getting medical care. The refugee program is entirely funded by the federal government but administered by the states. President Donald Trump shut down the program by executive order shortly after taking office, but a federal court judge overturned that move in February. Three years ago, DeSantis' administration was asking for more money for the program. In 2022 it asked a legislative panel for $270 million for the refugee program, including $33.4 million to address a backlog of 51,000 refugees waiting on health assessments and immunizations. "Without additional budget authority, clients would not receive services within their eight-month eligibility period. Further, clients with undiagnosed communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections, would not be diagnosed and treated, and could put the health of all Floridians at risk from the spread of communicable diseases," the budget request stated. In making his announcement Friday, DeSantis didn't mention the refugee program funds or the $320.4 million in federal funds for the Florida Department of Transportation for a 'Carbon Reduction' program pushed under Trump's predecessor in the Oval Office, Joe Biden. DeSantis only posted the first paragraph of a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department, noting the total $878.1 million being 'returned,' on the social media site X. 'For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration – but they couldn't even figure out how to accept it,' DeSantis stated in his X post. 'Today, I met with (Elon Musk) and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day. Other states should follow Florida in supporting DOGE's efforts!' DOGE stands for Department of Government Efficiency, set up by Trump upon taking office to root out fraud and abuse in federal spending. Musk, the tech titan who owns Tesla, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter, is the de facto head of that effort, but Trump's administration has claimed in court that Amy Gleason is its acting administrator. DeSantis met with Musk earlier on Friday. A request for comment was pending with a DeSantis spokesman as of late Monday. The rest of the letter – made public by Forrest Saunders, Capital Bureau reporter for Scripps television in Florida – provides more information on the FDOT and refugee funding. For the FDOT funding, less than $50 million had been received by the agency and is being returned to the federal government, DeSantis' letter states. The remaining $271 million is simply budget authority the federal government had approved for Florida but hadn't yet given to the Sunshine State. DeSantis' administration had already decided to reject those funds in December 2023, but hadn't been able to get the federal government to accept that decision. 'Of the $320,386,861 in 'Carbon Reduction' funding, $49,249,017 will be returned today via wire transfer. An additional $271,137,844 in allocated authority, not yet reimbursed to the state, should be withheld from future disbursement to the state and is hereby returned to the federal government,' the letter says. 'The state is formally requesting a confirmation by USDOT of this action.' The letter makes the same request for confirmation of the rejected budget authority for the $557.7 million for the refugee program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rejecting the federal money is a turn from DeSantis' previous position on the topic. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, DeSantis' predecessor as Florida governor, called on him and other governors to return federal funds for states as part of the COVID-19 relief funds in 2021. But DeSantis rejected that suggestion, saying it 'doesn't make sense' to return the federal largesse because Democratically-controlled states would simply take it and spend the funds, not saving federal taxpayers any money. Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@ Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Of money Gov. DeSantis 'returned' to feds, most was for refugees
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Catholic Charities of Central Texas suspends Refugee Resettlement Program
AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 44) – Catholic Charities of Central Texas (CCCTX) has announced the suspension of its Refugee Resettlement Program. The organization says this comes due to lack of federal funding. Up to 30 staff positions dedicated to this work throughout 25 Texas counties have been eliminated. CCCTX is one of the largest social services non-profit organizations in Central Texas. It will cease all social support services for refugees, but will continue offering legal representation for existing refugee clients until their cases are complete. The organization says it remains steadfast in its commitment to serving refugees and all vulnerable populations in Central Texas through its other programs. CCCTX is a faith-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening families and promoting respect for human dignity and life by serving anyone in need, regardless of their age, faith, ethnic background or economic circumstance. The organization provides services in Counseling Services, Disaster Response, Financial Stability, Immigration Legal Services, St. Gabriel's Pregnancy and Parenting Program, and St. Michael's Veteran Services. For more information, you can visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Polk County to open a welcome center for immigrants and refugees
DES MOINES, Iowa — Polk County is renovating a Des Moines building to create a welcome center and resource hub for immigrants and refugees, called Global Neighbors. The center will be located at 1900 Carpenter Avenue, just east of Drake University. The building was also previously connected to serving immigrant populations. In the 40s, the building was home to the first Jewish-owned deli and grocery store. Then it became a disco and senior center before becoming a government site. The manager of operations of Global Neighbors, Mak Sućeska, said the building's location was an ideal space for what they have planned. It's equidistant to different Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBOs) and immigrant/refugee nonprofits from across the county. It's also located on a bus route, so transportation is accessible. School district forced to withdraw investment funds to cover payroll after late payments from Madison County Treasurer, says superintendent 'Polk County, in the words of the community that we're going to serve, is very spread out and, at times, difficult to navigate. So we decided as a community, Polk County, and our partners, to figure out how we create a one-stop-shop where people can come and enroll in English classes, enroll kids into school, potentially get immunizations and a health checkup,' said Sućeska. The state of Iowa is no stranger to helping refugees, dating back to the early 70s when then-Governor Robert Ray helped resettle Southeast Asian Refugees in Iowa. However, a new executive order may make this tradition harder to keep up with. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the Refugee Resettlement Program. Part of the order states, 'The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.' Sućeska said this order will impact the local resettlement and agencies will need time to adjust. However, he said there are refugees and immigrants currently in Iowa who still need support, and Global Neighbors will be a benefit for them. 'Resettlement services that are provided are time-limited 90 to 180 days, so getting economically self-sufficient is quite challenging within that short period of time. Many refugees and immigrants need continued support and that's where Global Neighbors comes in,' he said. The project started in 2017 with an assessment of the refugee and immigrant community within the county to find what gaps existed. The county partnered with BBS Architects | Engineers and construction is currently underway. At the entrance, there will be an Iowa Oak Tree to welcome people. The state tree will be symbolic of people settling their roots in the state. A wall will be constructed through the building. There will be a mural painted on the wall to display the journey of immigrants and refugees. There will also be a mural painted on the outer facade of the building. Both murals will be painted by a local refugee/immigrant artist. Several resources will also be available on-site to help people, including services from Des Moines Public Schools to help enroll students, representatives of different ECBOs to help connect people to communities, clinical services to help connect people with healthcare, and more. Sućeska says the goal of the facility is to help people integrate into American society, and he hopes their efforts make the transition easier. 'It's very important for people to know what it takes to thrive and survive here in the United States and in Iowa. And that's what we're trying to do with Global Neighbors,' he said. Global Neighbors is projected to be completed by the end of 2025. 1 teen, 1 adult dead in NW Des Moines shooting UPDATE: Missing child found safe 2 injured in shooting at northwest Des Moines residence Brenton Skating Plaza hosting 80s & 90s theme nights Scholastic Spotlight: The Dot at Dallas Center-Grimes Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
