What Happened to U.S. Refugee Assistance?

In the first 100 days of the current Administration, both U.S. refugee overseas assistance and humanitarian programs and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) were suspended—leaving millions without life-saving aid or a path to resettlement.

What began as a planned 90-day review of refugee assistance programs was later extended by an additional 30 days. During this time, numerous programs funded by Congress were terminated without explanation, despite having been previously approved and deemed effective.

Who Has Been Affected?

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) was forced to close seven of its nine cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). These terminations have cut off access to education, health services, and protection for an estimated 100,000 refugees previously served by JRS/USA—and likely millions more supported by other PRM-funded organizations.

❌ Terminated programs include those in countries such as India, Iraq, Uganda, Ethiopia, Thailand, and Chad.

Why This Matters

These programs are funded by Congress, which holds the constitutional authority to allocate and appropriate U.S. foreign assistance. While the executive branch may conduct reviews, terminating or indefinitely suspending Congressionally funded programs—without transparency, a plan for reinstatement, or new awards—is a direct threat to humanitarian impact and government accountability.

To date:

• No new refugee overseas programs have been funded

• No public plan exists for resuming terminated initiatives

• No infrastructure appears to be in place to process or award new grants

The Status of USRAP

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program the nation’s primary resettlement program—was also suspended for 90 days. At the conclusion of that period, the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of State were instructed to submit a report to the President on whether USRAP serves U.S. interests.

That report has not been released. No additional reports have been submitted. And USRAP remains indefinitely suspended.

• Even longstanding USRAP partners such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have withdrawn from the program—an alarming sign of the program’s continued instability.

JRS/USA’s Position

Since 1980, USRAP has helped more than 3 million refugees find safety, stability, and a future in the United States. JRS/USA strongly urges the Administration and Congress to:

• Fully restore USRAP and set a clear, public timeline for its resumption

• Reinstate unlawfully terminated refugee assistance programs

• Announce plans to accept and fund new humanitarian awards

• Release the mandated report to the President on USRAP’s alignment with U.S. interests

We believe that ending or stalling these life-saving programs undermines American humanitarian leadership, harms vulnerable communities, and ignores the moral obligation to protect people fleeing violence, persecution, and displacement.