Minnesota's refugee resettlement agencies scramble to respond amid Trump disruptions

Among those left behind from canceled flights that would have brought dozens of refugees to Minnesota earlier this year are two brothers from Myanmar, ages 11 and 14.

Their parents died within the last year in a motorcycle crash. They will now remain on their own in a refugee camp in Thailand.

Last year, a family from the Congo arrived in Minnesota. Their adult daughter was too sick to travel and stayed behind. She was supposed to come here in January. Now she can't reunite with her family.

In Minnesota there are still several hundred refugees — people who fled war or persecution and who were invited to come to this country after a thorough vetting process — who only just arrived in recent months. They need help with basic needs, including rent payments, English lessons, job training and healthcare.

But the Trump administration, in addition to abruptly blocking new arrivals with an executive order in January, has withheld federal funding from resettlement agencies to help the needs of the new arrivals. Those agencies have since scrambled for private donations and relied on their own resources to pay staff.

The past two months have amounted to a whiplash for Minnesota's refugee resettlement agencies. Three of them spoke to the Star Tribune about the new terrain before them. After enjoying decades of bipartisan support and seeing many refugees succeed here, their programs face an uncertain future.

"It is disappointing and unfortunate, I would say, at minimum, that this longstanding commitment that our country has had for 45 years isn't there in the same way it was," said Ben Walen, director of refugee services for the Minnesota Council of Churches. "People with refugee status have a huge economic impact in aggregate in our community."

Refugees have been a boon for U.S. economy

Refugees differ from other kinds of immigrants in a number of ways. Perhaps most notable is that they are thoroughly vetted before arriving in the United States.

To obtain refugee status, a person must interview with the United Nations and the country in which they want to resettle. They must pass more than a dozen clearances, which include background checks, fingerprinting and medical screenings.

That process usually takes two years. And it often comes after they've fled violence or persecution and spent up to 20 years waiting in a refugee camp for a chance at resettlement.

"They're the most vetted population coming to the United States," said Jane Graupman, executive director of the International Institute of Minnesota.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) was established in 1980. Minnesota has resettled almost 118,000 people from 1979 through 2023, according to the state Department of Health.

In recent years, many new arrivals have come from Africa, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Central and South America.

President Trump's executive order to suspend USRAP said that refugees and other immigrants could no longer be accommodated without compromising resources and safety for Americans.

But given time, refugees tend to make resources for themselves and others, studies show.

A 2024 federal study found that refugees and asylum seekers generated a positive net fiscal impact of $123.8 billion over a recent 15-year period.

In 2023, a report from the American Immigration Council determined that refugees are more entrepreneurial than the U.S.-born population and, after being in the country for 20 years, have a median household income higher than the U.S. average.

"They are some of the most resilient people you will ever meet," said Rebekah Phillips, executive director of programs at Arrive Ministries. "Many refugees come without having been given the opportunity during their fleeing process or in a refugee camp to even work for themselves. Their excitement around employment is really riveting to us."

Fulfilling commitments

Trump's executive order also asserted the country couldn't welcome large numbers of immigrants while still ensuring "the appropriate assimilation of refugees."

That's exactly what resettlement programs have done — only now, they've been defunded, Graupman said. And any refugee who arrived shortly before Trump's inauguration still needs those programs.

After stopping new arrivals from coming, the Trump administration issued a stop-work order to resettlement agencies. It later canceled contracts that funded them.

Rather than abandon recent arrivals, resettlement agencies rushed to fill the sudden void in funding and continue their work.

"There's a commitment and an obligation that both our country made and that we (made), participating in this program," Walen said.

Arrive Ministries, for example, had to raise $250,000 in one month to help 109 recent arrivals cover food and shelter for three months.

The three agencies that spoke to the Star Tribune said they have raised enough funds to fulfill a three-month obligation to provide basic needs for more than 500 recent arrivals. But there have still been disruptions, including staff layoffs and delays in service.

A federal judge has since blocked Trump's order to suspend USRAP. But his administration said in a court filing last week it will take at least three months to restart it.

Agencies in Minnesota said they are unsure what the future holds for refugee resettlement. After being in the United States for a year, the new arrivals will return to those agencies for help getting a green card, and later, citizenship.

Service providers vowed to continue their work.

"It's just sad because it's unnecessary," Graupman said of the disruptions. "It's such a strong program."