The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and prolonged delays in reimbursement for resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country and around the world. Welcome to the latest edition of State of Play from Church World Service. This resource will provide regular updates from the CWS Policy Team on the current state of play; updated asks for national, state and local leaders; and the latest headlines and community resources. Subscribe now to receive daily updates on the latest developments and ways to support impacted communities.
State of Play |
| The latest: The refugee resettlement ban remains in place as the administration continues to target refugees and others who have already found safety in the U.S.
Green card applications are on hold for refugees who were resettled between January 2021 and February 2025. Meanwhile, the administration clarified that refugees and others will be cut off from federal food assistance (SNAP) unless they have adjusted to a green card – just one example of how the recent slew of restrictive policy changes interact and compound upon one another to make it harder for refugee families to build lives in safety in their new communities. As of December 16, the circumstances, specifics, and timing around a proposed “review and re-interview” of refugees and others from nineteen travel ban countries remains uncertain. Use this tool to easily reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to oppose the dehumanizing, xenophobic policies of this administration that target individuals only because of the country they were born. UNHCR’s Global Refugee Forum Progress Review kicks off in Geneva. From December 15 to 17, the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Progress Review is being held in Geneva, an event that brings together governments, agencies, refugees, and other stakeholders to assess efforts to implement the Global Compact on Refugees. In a speech kicking off the GRF progress review yesterday, outgoing UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi highlighted progress on refugee protection in the last ten years, although noted the recent combination of rising displacement, funding cuts, and anti-refugee sentiment pose huge challenges in the years ahead. Read his full speech here. Church World Service Geneva Representative Johanna Babb and Asia Regional Representative Chris Eades are participating in the event. More than 300 individuals with lived experience of forced displacement are also participating, including UNHCR advisory board member Nour Jarrouj, who said “refugees are not bystanders. We are actors, leaders, organizers, and experts in our own right.” House considers legislation that would subject children to prolonged detention, invasive body searches, and family separation. H.R. 4371, the “Kayla Hamilton Act” is currently being considered in the House of Representatives and set to come up for a vote this afternoon. CWS and others have urged Congress to oppose the bill, which fails children, keeps families apart, and places kids in juvenile jails with little due process (see CWS’ vote recommendation here). |
Today’s Headlines, Calls to Action and Community Resources |
Stories of Impact |
| The Moreno Family: “We are a Venezuelan family of five members who had to flee our country due to threats and persecution. The case holder is my wife, who was directly threatened with death in Venezuela. For this reason, we were forced to leave everything behind and seek refuge in Colombia. In August 2024, we received a conditional approval from the United States under the Safe Mobility program, but we were never able to travel because the process was suspended with the change of government. Since then, we have been living in painful limbo, unable to return to Venezuela and without a defined future in Colombia. Our eldest daughter is about to turn 17 and dreams of studying veterinary medicine, but opportunities are very limited in our current situation. As parents, our greatest wish is for our children to have access to education and a secure future, away from threats and uncertainty. Despite the difficulties, we continue to try to maintain hope, training ourselves and exploring opportunities abroad. Telling our story is our way of asking not to forget the refugee families who are trapped in blocked resettlement processes.”
Mother’s Plea for Hope: “I’m refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo currently living in Ethiopia with six children. I was full of hope to finally be on the path of being resettlement to the United States. But suddenly, that hope was taken away after the Trump administration suspended USRAP indefinitely and everything stopped. I keep waiting, praying and tell my children to be patient, but days turned into years. Life has become harder. What I see is fear and confusion in my children, and they ask me questions that I can not answer. I try to stay strong for them, but I, too, have lost hope. I feel helpless. I wonder if I will live a life where tomorrow is not a treat, but a promise. I speak out not for just myself but for the tens of thousands of refugees like me who have been approved, vetted and left stranded. I ask you, CWS, and all people of faith and compassion—please, do not forget us. Advocate for our resettlement. Please, help restore our hope. I dream of seeing my children in school, free from fear and full of dreams. I dream of a tomorrow that is better than today. I want my children to know that the world has not turned its back on them. We are mothers, fathers, children, survivors—still holding onto a thread of hope. Help us to turn hope into reality. Thank you for standing for refugees.” Joseph: “I am a Central African refugee in Benin approved for the American refugee program. With my family, we are suffering so much right now because we are not working, we do not have good conditions to ensure the future of our children and even in terms of health, we do not have the means to provide for that. We live in very painful conditions, sometimes going days without eating. The living conditions are not appropriate; the children are on the mat spending sleepless nights. With everything we have experienced as trauma during the war in the Central African Republic and what we are currently living, it is madness that does not yet touch us. We are really unhappy about the program that has been suspended.” Find more stories of impact here, and watch this space for new stories as they arise. Have a story to share? You can share it with us via this form for refugees overseas or this form for refugees, immigrants and service providers in the U.S. |
