Update on Refugee Resettlement and Immigration
CCFCS has the largest refugee resettlement program in New York State. Our Refugee, Immigration and Employment Services (RIES) Department serves some 4,000 refugees every year, ranging from newly-arrived refugees to refugees who have been here for 5 years or more. As you may be aware, the Federal Government has halted refugee admissions to the U.S., frozen funding for resettlement programs, halted the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program, and suspended processing of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and asylum applications for certain applicants recently arrived under humanitarian parole.
Together, these actions impact thousands of individuals and families who rely on us for care, along with the dedicated staff who assist them. CCFCS will temporarily close its Refugee Resettlement Program at the end of April. Approximately 20 employees are being invited and/or already have accepted jobs elsewhere in the agency. All other RIES programs are continuing, including Post Resettlement, Employment Services, Language Services, Health Case Management, and more. In addition, CCFCS has joined refugee resettlement groups across New York to ask state lawmakers for additional aid to ensure adequate funding for refugee services.
Despite the uncertain road ahead, we remain unwavering in our mission to welcome the stranger and assist new Americans on their path to stability and self-sufficiency. If you would like to support us in that mission, please consider contacting your members of Congress to ask them to restore the protections that were promised to refugee families; you may also contact your state lawmakers to ask them to support an increase in state aid for refugee services.
