Local agencies are still determined to help resettle refugees despite an executive order halting federal funding.
Four agencies in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are contracted through the Office of Refugee Resettlement as a partner of the national resettlement agency, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, to provide resettlement services.
This includes the Acculturation for Justice, Access and Peace Outreach, or AJAPO; Jewish Family and Community Services; Hello Neighbor; and Bethany Christian Services.
The agencies are contracted to provide services to newly arrived refugees in the first 90 days with housing, jobs, schools, medical care and more. The order stops all funding for these services, putting refugee resettlement agencies in a bind, said JFCS CEO and President Jordan Golin.
“We’re all stunned. We were all taken by surprise. We had no idea that this is something that would be cut. These are people who the government brought. Historically, refugee resettlement has received broad bipartisan support,” he said.
Golin is referring to a Jan. 20 executive order, “Realigning the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” which suspends the resettlement refugee program with further entry into the United States until the program aligns with the interests of the United States, according to whitehouse.gov.
The U.S. president decides annually how many refugees are to be allowed into the USRAP, and some of these refugees may have been waiting for years, Golin said.
Not every immigrant is approved for the program, he said. It only considers a very specific type of immigrant, such as one who has to leave or is forced to leave their home country due to persecution, political party affiliation or other serious situations.
Those selected are heavily screened by Homeland Security, the FBI and the State Department and are flown in by the government, he said.
“There’s nobody that enters the U.S. that’s vetted more strictly than those coming into the resettlement program,” said Golin, calling it the “gold standard” of immigration processing.
Filling the gap
On Feb. 20, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato issued a statement announcing funding to help fill the gap left by the “stop work order” issued by the federal government to the county’s refugee resettlement agencies.
Hello Neighbor, AJAPO and JFCS estimated a $672,000 funding shortfall due to the federal stop work order, Innamorato noted. In response, she said Allegheny County is pledging $224,000 to help fill the funding gap for the organizations. County leaders also are working with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and philanthropic partners to secure matching dollars for the remaining $448,000.
“I’m proud that Allegheny County is a welcoming community. We want immigrants and refugees to put down roots here and succeed. After decades of falling and stagnant population numbers, welcoming in new residents is a key to our growth and economic vibrancy for the future,” Innamorato said in the statement. “While the federal government is causing chaos and confusion with abrupt firings and freezes, we are providing stability and will do what we can to support our service providers in their critical work to make Allegheny County a safe and welcoming community.”
Noted Gainey in the same statement: “The City of Pittsburgh remains steadfast in its commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive community for all. We are determined to build a city where everyone, including those in our immigrant and refugee communities, feels safe, valued and respected. In the face of the federal government falling short on its responsibilities to refugee families, my administration is committed to stepping up with the county and across-city agencies to meet this funding obligation to support our neighbors.”
The purpose of the executive order states that the U.S. has been “inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” for the past four years.
The order also states: “Within 90 days of this order, the secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the secretary of State, shall submit a report to the president through the Homeland Security adviser regarding whether resumption of entry of refugees into the United States … would be in the interests of the United States, and it will be reviewed every 90 days after that.”
Featured Local Businesses
Golin said his agency decided it would be “unethical and immoral” to suddenly withhold services to people who just arrived and are so vulnerable. JCFS is legally allowed to keep helping but now without funding.
He championed the efforts of county and city leaders to fill the gap.
“JFCS is extremely grateful to our local officials and the foundation community for their support for our community’s refugee neighbors. In addition to the humanitarian nature of providing support for these refugees — rigorously vetted immigrants who have fled horrors in their home countries — these newest residents have a vital role to play in our community,” Golin said. “The investment we make in encouraging and supporting immigrants is vital for the growth and well-being of our region, which has struggled with population loss and a corresponding decrease in tax dollars.
“We are thrilled that our region’s leaders are taking steps to ensure that these individuals and families will become successfully integrated in our community and will contribute to the growth of our beloved Pittsburgh region.”
Local lift
While not an official refugee resettlement agency, one local nonprofit, Thrive Pittsburgh in Ross, partners with some of these agencies to fill in the gaps where funding and manpower at the agency were not enough, according to Pauline Spring, Thrive’s program director.
“At Thrive Pittsburgh, we are continuing to serve refugee families and meeting their needs thanks to the unwavering support of our community, and will continue to do so even during the pause of new refugee admissions into the United States,” Spring said.
Thrive, a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of North Hills Community Baptist Church on Thompson Run Road, is made up of groups, churches and individuals in North Pittsburgh. It doesn’t rely on government funding and instead looks to private donors and e-crowdsourcing for support.
Bethany Christian Services has offices nationally, including one along Perry Highway in McCandless that offers immigration resettlement services.
In a Jan. 28 statement on its website, Bethany said it recognized the government’s role and responsibility in ensuring that public safety and national security are paramount as they vet and screen those considered for resettlement in the country.
But some are children who arrive as unaccompanied minors, having been separated from their families overseas as they fled violence or disaster, according to the statement.
Golin said those who just entered the country could experience homelessness and be unable to find work.
JCFS expects to turn to private donors and community to help finance resettlement, but that’s only good for the short term, Golin said. He hopes that within 90 days the government will resume the funding for the program.
Making a difference
Since December, Thrive alone has settled an Afghan family of eight in Sharpsburg, which is their first solo client. And they are hoping to help a Venezuelan family of eight, who has no local agency helping them. Previously, in Thrive”s work with AJAPO, they helped nearly 50 families since the organiztion’s inception in 2019. Thrive also is working with Hello Neighbor.
Spring said the organization has helped many refugees, including a Ukrainian family who thanked them for “delivering the wonderful baby supplies and the furniture. We did not know how we would set up a safe and comfortable home for our young son. We are very grateful.”
Thrive gives new refugees an opportunity to raise money by cooking for the public in a Supper Club event. Sumaya Antar of Syria held one in 2024.
“There are many reasons why people immigrate to America, such as job opportunities, democratic freedom, education, cultural diversity, health care, security and safety. We Syrians missed some of these and as a family we immigrated to the United States to live in safety and security and educate our children,” she said at the time.
She immigrated for her son during the war.
“When I saw tears and fear in his eyes, my heart broke. Our journey there was very difficult. The hardest thing was leaving his country and his family. We went abroad and then we moved to America. When we arrived after this exhaustion, joy was in our eyes. We knew that there was a difficult beginning because we were in a new country,” she said. “Thank you, America.”
Golin said these refugees and immigrants find jobs and pay taxes and contribute to the community. Right now, they are scared and uncertain.
Featured Local Businesses
“Reach out directly to immigrants and let them know they are wanted. Go to their businesses. Go to their restaurants and go to their shops. Let them know that we want them here, that they’re part of our communities,” Golin said.
Spring suggested calling local congressional members and senators to urge them to protect refugees and restore USRAP Funding.
For information about the local groups, visit jfcspgh.org and thrivepittsburgh.org.