The U.S. State Department has suspended funding to groups that assist refugees with housing, job placement, and other needs as part of a broad pause on aid. The letter, dated Friday, instructed the agencies to stop all work related to the paused federal grants and “cancel as many outstanding obligations as possible.” The move is part of a broader immigration crackdown ordered by President Donald Trump, who halted the resettlement of refugees from overseas indefinitely and ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance.
The funding freeze could make it harder for refugees already in the U.S. to keep their housing, find jobs, and adapt to U.S. life. Refugee Council USA, a coalition of aid groups, called the funding freeze “unfathomably cruel” and urged Trump to reverse course. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move is a reversal from the previous administration, which had ramped up refugee admissions. Outgoing President Joe Biden had accepted 100,000 refugees in fiscal-year 2024 and was on pace to accept more this year. Additionally, 100,000 refugees abroad had been fully vetted and ready to travel to the U.S. as of mid-January.
Trump’s abrupt refugee halt led to cancellations of all scheduled refugee arrivals, including 1,660 Afghans, some of whom were family members of U.S. military personnel. The move is expected to have a significant impact on humanitarian efforts around the world, including in Afghanistan, where relief operations are already stretched thin.
