Another immigration resettlement NGO has been forced to close due to President Trump’s reforms.
Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), a Connecticut-based NGO, has been deprived of $4 million of federal funding after Trump signed an Executive Order to suspend refugee resettlement indefinitely.
According to NPR, IRIS has already laid off half its staff and closed its main office in New Haven, with plans to close its Hartford office as well.
IRIS isn’t the first resettlement NGO to be forced to scale down their operations by Trump’s Executive Order. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) have both had to close aid centers and fire staff.
The USCCB claims to be the “largest refugee resettlement agency in the world” and helped 18% of incoming illegal immigrants to find placement in the US each year. The organization received around $20 million of federal funding annually.
“Like all other agencies, this has placed the Conference in a difficult situation. The Conference does not have the funds to continue operations in USCCB Refugee Services at the current levels,” the USCCB said, back in February.
“As such, we must inform our local Catholic Charities and other subcontracting agencies that there will be a delay in payments until further notice. This will be a burden on them and the people they serve and will result in staff layoffs.”
JRS was expecting to receive $18 million in federal funding in 2025.
A number of these NGOs are now suing the Trump administration, claiming the President has violated the authority of Congress.