What’s next for Spokane’s refugee agencies amid rising uncertainty?

What’s next for Spokane’s refugee agencies amid rising uncertainty?

News Story by Cassy Benefield | FāVS News

Since March 10, refugee resettlement agencies across the country are even more unsure of their future than when President Donald Trump stopped the flow of refugees in the U.S. on Jan. 20 and cut off their funding on Jan. 24. Two local offices affected by this increasing uncertainty reside in Spokane: International Rescue Committee (IRC) and World Relief Spokane (WRS).

“I would say is it has been a very stressful season for us at the local level,” said Matthew Soerens, WR’s vice president of Advocacy and Policy. “I think I can speak for Christi [Armstrong, WRS’ executive director], and her team on that, but also on the national level.”

On Feb. 25, District Court Judge Jamal Whitehead said Trump’s executive order to suspend the refugee resettlement program for 90-days was unconstitutional because only Congress has that authority. However, the next day the administration sent termination letters to all 10 refugee resettlement organizations, seven of which are faith-based.

This was the reason Whitehead’s next ruling required the Trump administration to send him a status report on how they will get things started again. In that memo, sent on March 10, current resettlement agencies discovered that the administration planned on creating one new refugee organization to work within the future. The report said the process will take three months. 

Meanwhile, Whitehead’s first ruling is being appealed in the federal court system.

“That was, of course, very disappointing for us to receive,” said Soerens. “When they say they are considering working with one singular agency, we don’t know what that means. … Our view is actually the model that’s worked for several decades is a really good model.”

On Tuesday U.S. Rep Michael Baumgartner also admitted the uncertainty of the refugee resettlement’s future to a room full of Ukrainian refugees at the Thrive Center, which provides temporary refugee housing and education. He came to hear their stories and concerns about their future in the U.S. and to answer some of their questions. He also said he had no way of know their future status.

“I don’t know how things are going to go,” he said. “Some of these decisions I do not control … immigration is very complicated.”

However, he assured them he would advocate for Ukrainians, specifically, not refugees generally, with Trump and his administration when he goes back to Washington, D.C.

“I do want you to know that I speak for all of us in Eastern Washington that we are pleased that you are here. We want you to be safe,” Baumgartner said.

FāVS emailed Baumgartner Wednesday asking for his reaction to the concerns current resettlement agencies have about the transition the Trump administration wants to implement by creating one national refugee resettlement agency. He did not respond as of publishing.  

Hopeful but not expecting the situation to change, WRS and its parent office are working on revising their funding model as they wait and see how the district court rulings play out in the federal judicial system, Soerens said.

“The challenge that we’re facing is adjusting our financial model because we’ve always operated as a public-private partnership. The federal government provided a significant part of our funding,” he said. 

What it doesn’t mean for WR and its local branches, however, is that they are going away anytime soon. Soerens said about three-fourths of their work in the U.S. revolves around supporting refugees currently here.

“So, there’s still plenty of refugees and other immigrants in Spokane and in every other place where we operate for us to serve,” he said.

Like Armstrong said in a previous FāVS article about the federal changes, Soerens has seen communities, local churches and donors fill in the financial gaps in “amazing ways.” Still, he admits the process has been painful, having to furlough staff, lessen hours and not meet all their refugees’ needs that the funding from the federal government used to provide. 

He said WR has been able to cover housing through March for roughly 4,000 refugees nationwide who arrived prior to the resettlement program’s suspension. 

“We have prioritized housing because obviously the last thing we want to see is refugees homeless,” he said.

These agencies are not the only organizations affected by these executive orders. Thrive International’s entire non-profit mission rests on the U.S. receiving refugees.

“That flow has been interrupted. So that definitely affects us,” said the Rev. Jim Castrolang, director of Human Resources, Policy and Advocacy. “Not being a resettlement agency, we’re not as immediately affected.”

They, too, would need to rearrange how they would assist refugees in the country as their premise is to build them up with long-term housing and empowerment programs so they can thrive, not just survive, in the U.S.

“We don’t know exactly what that all that’s going to mean, yet,” Castrolang said. “So we try not to get ahead of ourselves and predict what is a month to two months or three months [out] because we don’t know. It’s uncharted territory.”

Neither agency in Spokane knows what’s in store in the coming weeks, but they do know they will continue to assist refugees who are in their care.

“We will continue to serve the thousands of refugees and forced migrants that live in our Spokane community!” wrote Kimmie Curry, IRC’s community engagement manager, to FāVS News.

Both Thrive International and World Relief Spokane leadership do have best guesses as to what the future holds.

Castrolang doesn’t think they can totally eliminate the refugee resettlement program, and he does think it’s within a government’s purview to dictate how to manage how people come into the country.

“But on the humanitarian side, this has been done in a cruel way would be fair to say, I think, and we have an issue with that,” he said.

Because WR is a Christian organization, Soerens said they have used these abrupt changes within their agencies as an opportunity to trust God more.

“We have really leaned into our faith through a very, very challenging season, knowing that God loves the people that we are called  to serve even more than we do,” he said.

However, he is not as optimistic as Castrolang that the Trump administration will restore the refugee resettlement system. 

“Despite the judge’s fairly clear order, I don’t feel confident that the resettlement program will resume,” Soerens said. “But I still feel hopeful, and I’m going to keep advocating for it.”