Washington, D.C.— Last week, in response to a court order requiring the Trump administration to reimburse frozen aid funding, the White House instead chose to terminate nearly 10,000 federal contracts, including those with agencies to resettle and welcome refugees. Church World Service unequivocally opposes these actions and expresses deep concern over the impact these decisions will have on the displaced, the impoverished, and the welfare of people and communities in the United States and around the globe. The administration’s actions represent an attempt to effectively end the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which has received bipartisan support since its inception in 1980.
For nearly 80 years, CWS has pursued a vision of a world where everyone has food, voice, and a safe place to call home. This simple vision is rooted in our Christian faith tradition and the belief that all people were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27) and deserve to live in safety and peace. To that end, we have sought to alleviate human suffering by providing food and other life-saving assistance to communities worldwide, resettling refugees, and elevating the voices of those facing hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster.
Now, despite court orders, no refugees are being resettled, reimbursements for critical services to refugees who have already arrived remain frozen, and other critical aid remains inaccessible.
“The Bible compels us to love our neighbor, feed the hungry, and welcome the stranger. Church World Service has worked hand in hand with the federal government to welcome refugees since the refugee program’s inception. These contract terminations are an attempt to shut down not only our long-standing and life-saving refugee program but our country’s proud legacy of welcome that stretches back to our nation’s founding,” said Rick Santos, President and CEO at CWS. “To abdicate this leadership now would only hurt many of our most vulnerable neighbors but would extinguish the light that refugees bring to so many American communities nationwide.”
CWS notes that the termination notices include the resettlement agency agreements to provide Reception and Placement (R&P) core services for refugees already arrived in the United States, as well as several of the Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs) that help process and support refugees who are being vetted for U.S. resettlement. CWS programs serving marginalized communities in Egypt, Indonesia, and Honduras have also been terminated.
CWS adds that these terminations will not only detrimentally impact new members of American communities, but businesses, faith groups, and families across the United States.
For more information contact media@cwsglobal.org