In a significant blow to Chicago’s refugee community, World Relief Chicagoland, a nonprofit dedicated to settling refugees in the metro area, has been issued a stop-work order as per an executive action from President Donald Trump's administration. According to NBC Chicago, this move has effectively cut all federal funding to the program, leaving the organization and the people it serves in a state of limbo.
Trump's executive action not only halts the arrival of refugees who were scheduled to come but also suspends the 90-day Resettlement and Placement Program that provides vital support for newcomers to the country. "We’ve had to talk to that family member and explain to them - for an indefinite period now - your family will not be joining, their flight has been canceled," Peter Zigterma, director of immigrant family services, told NBC Chicago. Already, the program's suspension is impacting refugees who have arrived and are depending on the organization to help them settle and unite with family members.
World Relief Chicagoland, among other local organizations, had been preparing for the arrival of about 140 refugees this month. These individuals, already cleared to enter the United States and often coming from lengthy stays in refugee camps, are now caught in a holding pattern due to the administration's crackdown. "We've already had to have very difficult conversations with family members regarding why they are not now coming," Peter Zigterman said in a statement obtained by ABC7 Chicago.
Despite the current adversity, World Relief Chicagoland pledges to continue serving the refugee population with the resources they currently have, underlining their commitment to those they've pledged to assist. "We have an ethical obligation to continue to serve them and ensure their basic needs are met for the moment," Zigterma shared with NBC Chicago. The organization is urging members of the public to step in and help support refugees through donations, advocacy, and volunteering.
As the Trump administration states they will review the refugee program after 90 days, advocates and refugee organizations hope to change the narrative and demonstrate the benefits that refugees bring to local and national economies. "Not only are refugees vetted, but these benefits that they get are relatively small, crucial, but small, and within a few years, they're basically huge contributors to our economy," explained Yael Schacher of Refugees National in Washington D.C., in an interview given to ABC7 Chicago.
