CWS Furloughs Staff to Maintain Capacity to Serve Vulnerable Clients
Washington, D.C.— CWS today expressed deep concern and alarm over the administration’s recent actions severely limiting the ability of the organization to continue to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to refugees and other vulnerable families. Since January 20th, the Trump Administration has taken action after action–including severely limiting access to federal reimbursements, issuing suspension and stop work orders, and signing Executive Orders on Realigning the US Refugee Admissions Program and Reevaluating and Realigning Foreign Assistance–to dismantle the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and to cut off access to funding for Congressionally-mandated humanitarian assistance programs.
These sweeping and harmful policy decisions have significantly limited CWS’s ability to maintain programs and serve vulnerable families who are in need of critical services. As a result of these actions, CWS has significantly reduced its operational capacity including by placing more than half of its U.S.-based staff on furlough and limiting local service provision to the most urgent needs of clients.
“Thousands of refugee families, who came to this country via safe and legal programs, are now being targeted by a harmful disinformation campaign and policies meant to sow chaos and confusion while denying them access to support services,” said Rick Santos, CWS President and CEO. “The impact of these program suspensions is disastrous to the communities we serve and leaves behind thousands of people our nation has pledged to protect–including Afghan allies who fought alongside the U.S. military and refugee families who have been thoroughly vetted and endured a years-long process to be approved for travel.”
“Faith communities and local communities are called to live out our values of welcome, compassion and generosity, and these actions are unnecessary and cruel. For decades the refugee resettlement program has been a well-functioning public-private partnership, where faith communities around the country have joined together to welcome newcomers fleeing violence and persecution and help them rebuild their lives in safety. The program is an important part of promoting global stability, and refugee arrivals have been a cultural and economic boon to their new communities.”
“The painful decision to furlough many of our staff means that across the country, refugee families and other legally-protected groups of newcomers will have trouble accessing health care, housing assistance, legal services, and even basic essentials like warm winter coats for their kids–things that the communities where we work have proudly supported for many decades. As we navigate through this challenging time we will continue to prioritize services for our most vulnerable clients.”
For more information contact media@cwsglobal.org.
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