Recap: Recent Policy Changes
By Marisa Tesoro
Recent policy changes have severely impacted refugee resettlement across the country, and Missouri has not been immune.
Within the first two weeks of the new administration, there was a quick series of actions impacting resettlement, beginning with the Executive Order, Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program, and the halt to foreign aid grants issued by the Department of State. As a result of these actions, 10,000 refugees who had completed security screenings and were booked for travel to the U.S. had their flights cancelled. Processing and relocation of Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) were also halted and SIV flights cancelled.
Following those, the White House paused federal grants and loans while the administration performs a review of government spending. Federal agencies were ordered to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” White House Office of Management and Budget acting director Matthew Vaeth said in memorandum M-25-13. OMB memo M-25-13 was later rescinded after a federal judge temporarily blocked the plan. However, the continued accessibility of funding remains a cause for concern.
Most recently, as of February 27, the Department of State also terminated its grant agreements related to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. With the cooperative agreements for all ten national resettlement agencies cancelled, further uncertainty about the program remains.
While these directives are unprecedented and still playing out in the courts, we expect to receive guidance from our federal partners at PRM (Department of State) and ORR (Department of Health and Human Services) on the future structure of the refugee program in the coming weeks. MO-ORA will also continue to draw down funds each month to cover prior month subrecipient expenses as long as those funds remain accessible.
In the meantime, we are still here and remain committed to supporting our network of subcontractors and service providers as we work toward a Missouri that values and champions refugees.