JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Following an executive order by President Donald Trump, a local charitable organization says it’s been forced to cut jobs and lay off workers.
The organization says it laid off 26 local workers due to cuts to its refugee program.
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The executive order, issued on Trump’s first day in office, suspends the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
The following is a quote from the order:
“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. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”.
Related: Refugee resettlement agencies scramble after Trump orders them to halt their federally funded work
For over 40 years, Catholic Charities Jacksonville has helped refugees from all over the world who fled their home countries due to violence and political persecution.
“We make commitments to help them, and to even imagine coming to new community and have no help is terrifying,” said CEO Anita Hassell
The refugee resettlement program ensures that each refugee family has a safe place to live, furniture, food, and other essentials waiting for them when they arrive.
However, the program relies on federal funding. Hassell says they usually get close to $1 million in federal funding for the program each year.
Since the program started in the early 1980s, the number of refugees they’ve assisted has grown. Just last year, catholic charities provided services for more than 1,100 refugees locally.
Read: ‘Now I have a voice’: Jacksonville sheriff joins statewide illegal immigration crackdown
Since the implementation of funding cuts ordered by the White House, Catholic Charities says it has yet to be reimbursed $600,000 for services completed last November.
“So now we are dealing with the situation where we have new refugees in the community who need all the services, but we have no funding,” said Hassell.
The CEO tells us the investigation into their refugee program at the federal level will take 90 days. After that time, they should have a better idea about future funding.
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