Refugee resettlement agencies in Iowa are nearly out of funding after the Trump administration stopped providing money to support new arrivals. The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Des Moines started the year with around 35 staff members. By Friday, six will remain. Wellness program manager Leslie Olson says they haven’t been paid by the federal government since November, including money for services not affected by an executive order to stop resettlement work.
Olson says many on her staff are former refugees. She says they are concerned about what’s next for themselves and their clients. Lutheran Services of Iowa has not been reimbursed for any federal expenses since December. Nicholas Wuertz, LSI’s director of refugee services, says they’re waiting for one-and-a-half million dollars in reimbursements.
Wuertz says Congress has already approved these funds. Without the money, LSI will continue to lay off employees.
