The Trump administration has released $47 million dollars meant to help more than 100,000 refugees in Texas adapt to life in America.
The aid group running Texas refugee programs had sued the Trump administration earlier this month, accusing the federal government of illegally freezing millions meant to help immigrants seeking refuge from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba and other nations.
Anjum Malik, founder and director of the Global Impact Initiative, an Austin-based refugee aid group that had to halt some of its work because of the federal freeze, said Thursday that the release in funding would help in the short-term.
The future of immigrant support programs in Texas and across the nation, however, remains in doubt because of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to cut off federal funding.
“The funding has been released, but the future is very uncertain because nobody knows what’s going to happen,” she said.
RELATED: Texas refugee group sues Trump administration over immigrant resettlement funding freeze
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. earlier this month, accused the Trump Administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of blocking funds to provide help to “those fleeing persecution in their home countries.”
Because of the federal freeze, aid groups in Houston and across the state had to halt programs that offer short-term medical coverage, temporary financial aid, English language classes and job placement services.
Twenty-four of the 29 aid groups that provide services under the Texas program had to reduce staff, resulting in the layoff or furloughs of more than 750 people, the lawsuit said. That led to a 64 percent drop in the ability of the aid groups to help. More than 10,000 people were unable to get vital financial support during the freeze, the suit states, leading to the eviction of some refugees in Texas.
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The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Catholic Charities in Fort Worth, which oversees the Texas Office of Refugees for the state. Catholic Charities had asked 14 times for funding and gotten no reply, the lawsuit states.
When he took office in January, President Donald Trump put an immediate halt to State Department programs that allow millions of refugees to settle in America. The action forced hundreds of aid groups across America to shut down services that help the refugees adjust to life in America.
Separate from that, the federal government provides hundreds of millions of dollars to aid groups to help legal immigrants across America learn English, find jobs and secure health coverage.
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The Trump administration froze most federal grants and loans in late January when it took control in Washington. It quickly rescinded the order after facing legal challenges. That was supposed to trigger a resumption in funding to Texas for the resettlement programs, but the money did not start flowing again until Thursday.
Catholic Charities has served as the de-facto Texas agency for the state since 2021. Texas withdrew from the federal refugee resettlement program in 2016. At the time, Gov. Greg Abbott said he was concerned the refugees could pose a security threat.
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