Canceled federal government contract forces CCS of Utah to trim refugee assistance programs

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SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic Community Services of Utah, which has helped resettle refugees in the Beehive State for more than five decades, is scaling down its refugee assistance program. The agency, which currently assists 300 refugee families, intends to continue supporting them but will be unable to serve any new refugees. Legal aid for more than 125 unaccompanied minors being helped by CCS will also be terminated.

Prior to this year, funding for these services was largely provided by the federal government through a contract with CCS; many other agencies across the country also contracted to provide these services to refugees. However, since January, CCS has dipped into its financial reserves to the tune of $1 million to continue to provide housing, employment assistance, health services and case management to the refugee families already here.

The move comes in response to an executive order signed Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump that suspended the United States Refugee Program and canceled all contracts related it. According to the executive order, the United States has been “inundated with record levels of migration” that states and localities were not prepared to handle. The executive order argues that the entry of additional refugees would be “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

“The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees,” the order says.

However, in Utah refugee assistance programs have been well-organized and have posed no such hazard to Americans, said Aden Batar, director of CCS’ Migration and Refugee Services.

Refugees who have been resettled in Utah “did not come in here just to live on handouts,” he said. “They just want to work and provide for themselves. They also help their family members that they left behind in the refugee camp and in their home countries. That is also a win-win situation.”

CCS is just one of many relief organizations across the country that have been severely impacted by the executive order. In addition to canceling federal government contracts, the White House has frozen payment of all outstanding invoices for services already performed. In response, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops filed suit on behalf of Catholic relief agencies, claiming they are owed about $13 million for work already done through their contracts with the federal government. On March 11, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied the claim, saying that the federal courts lack the authority to order the government to honor its recently terminated contracts. The USCCB is appealing McFadden’s decision.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Batar of the administration’s actions. “We’re hoping that the courts will tell the administration that they need to continue this program, because Congress wanted this program to continue.”

“I think this is completely wrong,” he continued. ‘This is not who we are as Americans, and I think this also damages our reputation in the world.”

Funding for legal representation for the unaccompanied minors has also been cut. For the moment the minimal federal funding being disbursed through the state has not been affected, but the future of those funds is uncertain, Batar said.

CCS is trying to continue to provide services based entirely on private donations, but just 30 percent of the agency’s budget currently comes from that source. Batar and other CCS officials are hoping that Utahns, particularly local Catholics, will step up to help during this crisis. Monetary donations are desperately needed. They are also asking Utahns to volunteer their services to help staff with caseloads, mentor refugee families, teach English, help with job placement and for families to step up and foster some of the minors still coming from federal custody.

“If we don’t help these families and individuals, they will lose their housing, they will become homeless, and they will be in crisis,” Batar said.

To find out how to help, visit CCS.org.