Trump administration halts refugee resettlement funding, impacting Tulsa families

The Trump administration has stopped funding for refugee resettlement agencies while it evaluates existing refugee policies and vetting procedures. The move has disrupted travel plans for some families who were set to arrive in Tulsa.

Catholic Charities, the largest refugee resettlement agency in Oklahoma, said its work with families already in the U.S. will continue despite the funding cut.

“We have 45 cases, people who are here, still within the 90 days,” said Deacon Kevin Sartorius, who runs Tulsa’s largest refugee resettlement agency. “We're going to assure that everything that was going to happen still happens, at our own costs, because we love the people we're serving.”

Dozens of Families Stranded

Catholic Charities currently has 45 recent arrivals in Tulsa and was expecting more refugees to travel to the U.S. before the freeze.

“There were people verified who knew their flight plan. About 25 families knew when they would come to Tulsa but did not make that flight,” Sartorius said. “And then there were about 90 ‘assured’—the State Department would say we've chosen you—but that date wasn't set.”

Tulsa has a long history of welcoming refugees, most recently relocating hundreds of Afghans who worked with the U.S. military during the war. Resettlement agencies help refugees secure housing, education, medical care, and employment.

Local Agencies Continue Support

Tulsa has three official resettlement agencies that handle short-term needs, with the YWCA providing long-term support for up to five years after refugees arrive.

“We know that if the State Department chooses them and brings them to America, they can be a doctor, a mayor, they can be anything they want to be, right?” Sartorius said. “And so we're highly motivated to love that person and help them find God's plan for their life in the United States.”

Catholic Charities resettles an average of 250 people a year in Tulsa. However, after the Afghan government collapsed, 800 Afghan refugees were relocated to Tulsa within a few months, all assisted by local agencies.

White House Cites Migration Surge

The White House said the current pause is necessary because cities and communities are dealing with record levels of migration and do not have the capacity to take in more refugees.

The Trump administration also briefly paused refugee resettlement during his first term.