Alabama & Appropriations: Resettlement at Risk
The 119th Congress just concluded its first full week. Here's what it means for resettlement—and Alabama.
Those that vote to cut funding for refugee resettlement are voting to take away money from their own districts, lay off their own constituents, and close some of their state’s top-performing workforce development programs.
Congress on Deadline
On January 3rd, the 119th Congress was sworn into office. And they are on deadline.
On March 14th, the continuing resolution that funds governmental programming—including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program—will expire.
Congress must pass an appropriations package prior to March 14th to ensure that the government can continue operating throughout the rest of the Federal Fiscal Year, which runs through September.
Resettlement is at risk: If Congress cuts funding for the Refugee Program, local resettlement offices may face hard choices about pausing programs, laying off staff, or closing altogether.
Republicans are currently considering an appropriations bill entirely focused on “securing the border.” Republicans have also proposed combining the Office of Refugee Resettlement—an agency that supports immigrant integration—with immigration enforcement agencies (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among others). This executive reorganization is intended to facilitate a shift of “significant resources away from several supporting components to the essential operational components.”
In practice, this could mean: “prioritizing border security and immigration enforcement, including detention and deportation” above refugee resettlement in funding decisions: sidelining resettlement to ensure there is “enough” funding for mass deportations.
Republican Support
While the situation looks dire, there is some Republican support for resettlement. In last week’s newsletter, we reported that 58% of Republican voters support refugees—and if they know a refugee, support increases by almost 20%. 18 out of 26 Republican governors agreed to accept refugees during the last Trump Administration. Republican state legislatures across the Country are passing historic refugee-friendly legislation, often by unanimous votes. Even Republican members of Congress have cosponsored legislation, introduced legislation, or otherwise called for protection and support of Afghan, Rohingya, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Pakistani refugees—in addition to those in Hong Kong fleeing Chinese oppression.
While the headlines coming out of our Republican-controlled Congress will reflect strong anti-immigrant sentiments—if we read closely—we can find opportunities to bolster Republican support and work towards a future where the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains fully functional no matter who controls the federal government.
Educating Republican members of Congress on where funding for resettlement goes and what it does can dispel misinformation and generate support for refugee resettlement.
Public-Private Partnership
As a public-private partnership, most of the funding for the U.S. Refugee Program goes to the states: funding employs Alabaman case workers, Alaskan financial coaches, Kansan English teachers, and West Virginian citizenship instructors.
States, cities, businesses, faith-based communities, and everyday volunteers do the work of resettlement—not the Federal Government.
Through State Refugee Coordinators and state Offices of New Americans—like Utah’s Center for Global Talent and New Americans—state governments invest in refugee resettlement. Some states have even set aside additional funds to support their local resettlement agencies. In a single year, Washington appropriated over $28 million in additional funds for resettlement in response to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and rising resettlement needs—an appropriation led by a refugee legislator. California has extended the initial case management period for newly-arrived refugees using state funds. Other states—like Minnesota, New York, and Illinois—have done similarly.
Some of America’s largest businesses have pledged to support resettlement, including Adobe, American Express, Apple, Bank of America, Comcast, Google, Goldman Sachs, Marriott, and Microsoft—among others. Uber donates rides to doctors appointments and job interviews. AirBnB donates stays for refugees as they search for apartments. Local businesses like Cotopaxi donate time and expertise to refugee entrepreneurs. Local chambers of commerce, like Lancaster’s, help local businesses find refugee workers. Refugee small businesses also support resettlement. For example, during the Coronavirus pandemic, refugee-run restaurants partnered to provide hot meals to newly-arrived refugees.
Faith communities are the backbone of the U.S. Refugee Program. Seven out of the U.S’s ten refugee resettlement agencies are religiously-affiliated, including: Bethany Christian Services, Church World Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Global Refuge, HIAS, World Relief, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Of the 360 refugee resettlement offices around the Country, approximately 216 are religiously affiliated.
Finally, each of the 360 local resettlement offices rely on volunteers: volunteer English teachers, warehouse stockists, apartment set-up specialists, citizenship class instructors and interpreters. Refugees often volunteer to help other refugees, too—creating a virtuous cycle of community care.
The Refugee Program isn’t a government program, it’s an all-of-America program.
Two Core Federal Components
While the Refugee Program runs on civil society’s efforts, two core federal programs established by The Refugee Act of 1980 ensure operational continuity and equity across states. They are:
The Reception and Placement Program (R&P), which provides basic services—like case managers, airport pick-ups, apartment set-ups, assistance enrolling in schools—for the first ninety days of resettlement. This Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
The Refugee Support Services programs (RSS), which support refugees long-term, as they find jobs, learn English, and build lives in their new communities. These funds are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.
By law, these programs must prioritize supporting refugees in obtaining self-sufficiency—”as quickly as possible.”
But Do They Work? Yes.
Let’s take a look at Alabama, a Republican stronghold, where refugees are small business owners, financial coaches, aeronautical mechanics, gardeners, helpful neighbors, determined mothers, and animal lovers.
Public-Private Partnerships in Alabama
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is a successful public-private partnership, with Alabamans—not the Federal Government—doing most of the work of resettlement.
State & Localities
In Alabama, the City of Huntsville supported refugee resettlement through the Council Improvement Fund this past year. Three elected officials in Alabama joined the “Welcoming Refugees 2025” campaign, calling for additional federal funding for resettlement. A current Mayor and a former House Speaker—both Republicans—currently sit on the board of one of Alabama’s local resettlement agencies.
The Private Sector
Over the past several months, businesses have shown up for resettlement in Alabama. The Hispanic American Business Coalition of the Gulf Coast recently donated to Dwell Mobile, one of Alabama’s resettlement agencies, to assist them in purchasing a new van. This winter, Alabama Outdoors hosted a coat drive for refugees in Mobile. An Alabama-raised businesswoman helped pay rent for a newly-arrived refugee family in Birmingham. Additionally, The Huntsville Black Chamber of Commerce, the Birmingham Business Alliance, BizTech, and Marriot Bonvoy are all partners of Global Ties Alabama, another of Alabama’s refugee resettlement agencies.
Churches & Faith Communities
No one showed up more for resettlement in Alabama than faith communities. In Birmingham, Northstar Soccer Ministries partnered with a local resettlement agency to host a refugee youth soccer camp–helping children recovering from trauma build confidence and belonging. The Church at Brook Hills provides a halaal meal train for refugee families and, in partnership with Serving You Ministries and Birmingham Cross Cultural Connections (another of Alabama’s four resettlement agencies), assists refugees in purchasing and maintaining a car. In Irondale, Iglesia Christiana Agape partners with a local resettlement agency to create “Refugee Family Care Teams” that build community with refugees during their first year in the States. The First Baptist Church of Hoover, the Hunter Street Baptist Church, and The Church at Brook Hills host English classes.
Often, refugees become beloved congregants of local churches (over 60% do in Alabama!)—returning the favor of spiritual hospitality to other Alabamans.
Everyday Donors & Volunteers
Everyday Alabamans helped Inspiritus Birmingham, another of Alabama’s four resettlement agencies, reach their Giving Tuesday goal this past November. They donated coats to refugees experiencing their first Alabama winters. Local fire chiefs donate their time, ensuring refugees are educated on local emergency services.
Refugee are often leaders among volunteers. For example, Global Ties Alabama partners with Ukrainian activist Yaryna Zhurba to facilitate the collection and delivery of aid to Ukraine.
R&P and RSS in Alabama
Each of Alabama’s four resettlement agencies offers R&P and RSS programming. Inspiritus Birmingham offers employment counseling, job placement, and post-employment follow-up services through RSS programming. Dwell Mobile offers free English classes on different subjects: Driving, Citizenship, and GEDs. They also offer English Language Arts tutoring for refugee students!
These programs have tremendous success: for example, 100% of Birmingham Cross Cultural Connections 2024 refugee clients obtained jobs after three months in the United States.
Refugees not only become self-sufficient quickly, they substantially contribute to Alabama’s economy. Refugees and immigrants hold $5.2B in spending power in Alabama, pay $1.6B in taxes, and comprise over 7% of Alabama’s highly-skilled STEM workers. They contribute more to Alabama’s economy than they cost to resettle—and even pay back their flights to the U.S.
Alabama, Appropriations, & A Resettlement Floor
But the good work of Alabama’s cities, towns, businesses, churches, and volunteers is at risk—throughout the appropriations process and beyond.
Last year, Alabama resettled almost 600 refugees. During the final year of the first Trump Administration, Alabama welcomed only six refugees—100 times less.
Alabama can’t resettle refugees if the President refuses to admit them. The GRACE Act—or a proposed law that would require the U.S. to resettle a set number of refugees each year—ensures that refugee arrivals continue no matter who is in the Oval Office.
The GRACE Act would also likely prohibit the President from placing a de-facto pause on refugee resettlement. Even if Congress appropriates sufficient funding for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, without The GRACE Act, the executive branch can refuse to allocate those funds—or place extreme restrictions on those funds that would, effectively, pause resettlement. The GRACE Act would provide a legal basis to challenge those types of executive actions, ensuring that local resettlement agencies have the funds necessary to keep their doors open and their lights on.
Alabama can’t resettle refugees if Congress refuses to fund the Refugee Program. Alabama’s resettlement offices—many of them newer to resettlement—are particularly vulnerable to funding cuts: some of their programs have been around for less than a year. During the last Trump Administration, almost 40% of local resettlement agencies closed. The GRACE Act—passed with a few Republican Cosponsors—ensures that the Refugee Program has some bipartisan support among Republicans when they run the appropriations process.
Only a handful of Republican champions would help: Republicans have a one-seat margin in the House and a three-seat majority the Senate for passing appropriations packages. Considering the chaos a fracturing Republican Party caused during the appropriations process last fall, a few Republicans fighting for resettlement would significantly improve the odds that the Refugee Program remains in the budget.
It’s Time to Contact Your Elected Officials
Alabama’s elected officials have a history of supporting refugee resettlement. All of Alabama’s Senators voted for legislation that established the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program—as did 8 out of 10 of Alabama’s representatives.
Representative Billy Lee Evans even encouraged others to vote in favor of The Refugee Act:
Today, none of Alabama’s elected officials have ever signed on in support of the Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement Act, or The “GRACE Act.” This proposal would ensure that a minimum number of refugees are admitted to the United States each year, keeping the doors open and the lights on in Alabama’s four refugee resettlement agencies.
You can email your representatives and ask them to support The GRACE Act by clicking here.
Save Resettlement
If we’re going to Save Resettlement, we need support from bipartisan appropriators and bipartisan champions for a refugee floor. By highlighting the Refugee Program’s public-private partnerships, focusing on economic self-sufficiency, and elevating local successes, we can secure the support we need for The GRACE Act and Save Resettlement.
They don’t call it ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ for nothing. Let’s keep it that way.
Thanks for reading. Next week: Alaska & The Inauguration.