Take Action
Restore Refugee Assistance and USRAP
In the first 100 days of the Administration, critical U.S. refugee assistance programs were suspended or terminated under a sweeping review process. These included both the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)—the cornerstone of America’s resettlement efforts—and overseas humanitarian programs.
These suspensions were meant to be temporary. Yet months later, there is still no clear plan, timeline, or transparency regarding their future.
During this review, seven Jesuit Refugee Service/USA programs were abruptly terminated. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, these programs provided education, psychosocial support, emergency aid, and protection services to over 100,000 displaced people. Without explanation or cause, these life-saving efforts ended—and no new refugee assistance awards have been considered.
Meanwhile, USRAP remains effectively frozen. The Administration has yet to release its required report on whether the program serves the national interest and can be resumed. In the absence of leadership and stability, long-standing partners in resettlement—including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)—have withdrawn from the program, citing uncertainty and lack of federal support.
What’s at Stake
| Group/Area | Impact |
|---|---|
| Refugees overseas | Lose access to life-saving U.S.-funded education, psychosocial support, emergency aid, and protection programs. |
| USRAP (domestic resettlement) | Remains paused, leaving thousands of vetted refugees in limbo and undermining U.S. commitments to humanitarian protection. |
| Faith-based partners | Longtime resettlement agencies like USCCB are forced to withdraw, weakening national capacity to welcome and integrate newcomers. |
| Congressional authority | Undermined as refugee funding and resettlement programs are left to administrative delay instead of congressional oversight and appropriations. |
Take Action
Policies that suspend, terminate, or indefinitely delay refugee support are not just bureaucratic—they are life-threatening. Urge your Members of Congress and the Administration to:
- Fund and reinstate terminated refugee assistance programs.
- Release the Administration’s report on USRAP and fully restore this essential, life-saving program.
- Announce plans to accept new refugee assistance proposals so faith-based and humanitarian groups can meet urgent needs.
- Reassert Congress’s constitutional role in ensuring refugee programs continue without political obstruction.
At a moment of historic global displacement, America must not turn its back. Refugees—and the communities that welcome them—are counting on us.
