A stream of flags representing various countries hang from the office ceilings of Radiant Hands, a Tampa Bay area nonprofit that aids in refugee resettlement.
The building has been quieter than usual during the mornings, said Ghadir Kassab, the executive director. Some people have been working from home while others were recently laid off.
In the last month, Kassab said their case managers have been scrambling to help newly-arrived families – about 57 refugees in total – adjust to life in the Tampa Bay area while worrying about the fate of their own jobs.
“It breaks our heart,” Kassab said. "We're losing capacity to build within this organization ... [but] we don't want to stop working and helping people. We want to continue our services."
But Radiant Hands is not the only organization that was hobbled by funding cuts.
Funding halted
Refugee resettlement groups all over the nation are struggling to make ends meet after the Trump Administration suspended funding in January as it reassessed foreign aid programs amid a broader crackdown on immigration. The administration said that after a 90-day period, it would decide whether the Refugee Admissions Program would continue.
However, last week, the U.S. Department of State terminated all of its contracts with resettlement agencies, effectively ending the program. The move came after the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision that could lead to reimbursement to aid groups for some of the services already rendered.
Several refugee groups are challenging the termination in federal court, citing that the timing was a “deliberate effort” to evade granting the relief outlined in the SCOTUS decision.
As the legal battle plays out, Kassab said refugee aid groups like Radiant Hands are appealing to the community for donations to continue supporting the families who have already arrived, many of whom fled unstable conditions in their home countries.
“They're very vulnerable,” Kassab said. “They’re only here to secure their family and have a new life in the States that they've been promised.”
Those who come to the U.S. through the Refugee Admissions Program go through an extensive, years-long vetting process. It's a legal form of migration that's been in place for decades, designed to support those who have fled war, persecution or violence.
'First 90 days are critical'
When they arrive in the U.S., aid groups have 90 days to bring families up on their feet. Case managers help people find a new home, apply for jobs, complete health screenings and enroll their children in schools.
Federal funds — about $1,650 per person, according to Kassab— are designated to help pay for essentials like rent, furnishings, food and other basic needs that help them become self-sufficient.
That amount is often not enough to fully support their families, said Kassab, so aid groups fundraise, as well as receive money through other programs to supplement costs.
"Those first 90 days are critical to the stability of new arrivals," said Elke Cummings of Gulf Coast Jewish Families and Community Services, another resettlement group in the area.
Cummings explained how there is typically a roadmap for those arriving and what to expect — from services to the amount of money being given.
But now, with funding halted, a wrench has been thrown into the plans.
“That rug was pulled out from under all of our collective feet, and that roadmap that we have for how we usually do business was gone."Elke Cummings
“From the moment they get picked up at the airport, these are the things that are supposed to happen. These are the services I’m supposed to receive,” Cummings said. “That rug was pulled out from under all of our collective feet, and that roadmap that we have for how we usually do business was gone.”
Local relocation groups like Radiant Hands and Gulf Coast JFCS helped settle about 4,575 refugees in Florida last fiscal year. That's out of over 100,000 nationwide, a three-decade high after the Biden Administration lifted caps on refugee admissions.
Refugee admissions hit an all-time low of 11,400 in FY2021 after the Trump Administration set the ceiling to 15,000.
Cummings said Gulf Coast JFCS is helping resettle about 170 refugees in the Tampa Bay Region. Since the funding freeze, she said they’ve relied on donations from the community – from purchasing items on their Amazon wish list to cash donations to help with rent and buying bus passes.
Leading up to the funding halt on Jan. 20, Cummings said Gulf Coast JFCS expedited the arrivals of some refugee families.
“There was a big push to say, 'there may be changes coming,'” she said. “Let's try to help folks who are in the pipeline, who are waiting to get on a plane, to get here as soon as possible.”
Still, not everyone made it. Thousands have been stranded abroad, including those who were hoping to reunite with family members in Florida, Cummings said.
“Families are in the heartbreaking position of not knowing when or if their family members will be allowed in the future to join them," Cummings said. "The questions we get from them are, ‘A family member was about to board a plane in Afghanistan, had a ticket in hand and was turned back. When are they going to come?’ And we just don't have that answer, and we don't know when we'll have an answer for them.”
While refugee resettlement has been halted, Gulf Coast JFCS and Radiant Hands run other programs and services. Both Kassab and Cummings said they plan to continue to helping refugees and other vulnerable communities through those.
How to help
Radiant Hands
Food Staples Needed: Rice, flour, sugar, lentils, pasta, canned sauce, cooking oil.
Hygiene & Cleaning Supplies: Donate to provide clean homes.
New Toys & Shoes: Help children in need:
- Toys Drive Donation Amazon.com
- Shoes Drive Donation Gift Giver Page
Financial Assistance: Donate to support a family
Volunteer: Sign up to volunteer. Become a Sponsor – Contact Sponsorship Connect. Ameerae@radianthands.org
Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services
Purchase items: Gulf Coast JFCS Refugee Services Amazon Registry.
Hire a refugee – refugee@gcjfcs.org
Connect us to affordable apartments refugee@gcjfcs.org
Donate to the Hope & Dignity Fund or the THRIVE Fund for housing costs (up to 90 days): Donate to Hope & Dignity Fund
Church World Service
Donate here: CWS Southeast
Gift Cards Needed: Walmart or Grocery Store cards. Contact Daysel Marante at DMarante@cwsglobal.org
Hire a refugee: Contact Resettlement Supervisor
Affordable housing: Connect clients to apartment Connect
Coptic Orthodox Charities
Donate: Coptic Charities
Gift Cards: Walmart or Visa preferred.
Jobs for refugees: Contact Dawnyel Roque at Dawnyel.roque@copticcharities.org
Lutheran Services Florida
Make a financial contribution: LSF Refugee Services - Donate Today!
Gather donations: Household cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, kitchen supplies.
Contact Yasmin M. Sayed: yasmin.sayed@lsfnet.org to coordinate donations.
Refugee and Migrant Women Initiative (RAMWI)
Donate: Food items (rice, vegetable oil, fresh produce, hygiene supplies).
Resilience Funds: Contribute toward our fund: Resilience funds
Gift Cards: Walmart or Amazon gift cards
Volunteer: Are you a therapist? Contact us to help with our Mental Health Circle.
Contact: admin@ramwi.org
Tampa Women's Stars
Visit website
Jobs: Help find employment and technical schools for clients.
Financial support: Assist with rent, bills, cell phones, internet.
Support for disabled, non-English-speaking adults.
Contact: tampawomenstars@gmail.com
