As the largest refugee resettlement agency in New York State, Catholic Charities Family and Community Services (CCFCS), an agency of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rochester, is urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on its sudden and unprecedented decision to immediately freeze federal funding for resettlement activities in the U.S. The suspension of funds, announced without warning late Friday, January 24, is a devastating blow to newly arrived refugees in Rochester and the network of neighbors and community groups that welcome them.
This includes 250 refugees who arrived in Rochester under the care of CCFCS since November 1, 2024. These individuals have already been vetted by the U.S. government and granted permission to resettle here. Under U.S. law, resettlement agencies use federal funds to help refugees during their first 90 days in the U.S. The funding freeze means these families no longer have support for immediate needs such as shelter, food and transportation; it also jeopardizes Catholic Charities’ ability to connect them to housing, health, education, employment and other key services designed to place them on a path to self-sufficiency.
“Refugee resettlement is and always has been mission critical to us,” said Lori VanAuken, President & CEO of CCFCS. “Our refugee brothers and sisters have fled war, violence and persecution for safe haven in the U.S. We call on the federal government to restore funding for resettlement services and honor its promise to our refugee families.”
In addition to the stop-work order that cut off all federal funding for refugee programs, President Trump has indefinitely suspended all refugee admissions to the U.S. This will impact several hundred more refugee families who were approved to enter the U.S. and planned to resettle in Rochester over the next few months. CCFCS will not abandon the refugee families who rely on us to help them navigate life in America. As we stand with them, we are asking for the community’s support:
CCFCS will continue to advocate for refugees who come to us seeking peace and freedom. We invite the community to join us in our work, as an expression of shared values and our mission to treat our neighbors with compassion, dignity, and deep care.
About Catholic Charities Family and Community Services:
CCFCS provides housing, employment, and coordination of care to help people of all ages and all walks of life live independently with dignity, while facing the challenges of addiction, aging, mental illness, HIV, poverty, developmental disability, and immigration.