Refugee rights groups must stop helping refugees already in the U.S.

Refugee rights groups  must stop  helping refugees already in  the U.S.

The Trump administration on Friday abruptly  cut services for refugees in the United States, including Afghans, according to a memo obtained by CNN,  striking agencies that provide critical support to  the new arrivals.
It was a  drastic move that  caused a  scuffle as refugee advocates tried to interpret the order. The memo  threatens to  harm tens of thousands of refugees  — including Afghans who  helped the  United States during the war  — by  apparently cutting off assistance, ranging from support  from social workers to housing, that is  provided to  new arrivals  during their first three months in the United  States.
"We have refugees  without shelter," a refugee advocate told CNN. "It's completely  unprecedented." Nothing like this has ever happened."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week suspending  the entry of refugees as part of a broader  administration effort to limit entry  into the  United States based on public safety and national security. As a result,  about 10,000 refugees who had booked  trips after a  lengthy and often  arduous process  have had  their flights  canceled.
But Friday's memo goes  even further, according to multiple  sources.
Resettlement agencies receive federal funding from the State Department.  These funds are authorized and appropriated by Congress  to help refugees arrive. The State Department  has informed its partners that all work under  these grants must  cease, according to  a memo obtained by  CNN.
"Upon receipt of this  notice of  suspension, the Recipient  will cease all work under the  Grant(s) and  will not incur any new costs after the effective date above.  "The recipient must cancel as many  unpaid obligations as  possible," the memo  says.
CNN has reached out to the State  Department's Bureau of Population,  Refugees, and Migration for comment.
While  Trump's executive  order and  subsequent flight cancellations  have dealt a  major blow to the refugee admissions program,  Friday's memo appears to  prevent agencies from providing  funding and services to refugees already in the United  States. Resettlement agencies help refugees  settle once  they are admitted to the  United States, introducing them to services, helping them  find jobs, and familiarizing them with a new community. In some cases, the  assistance can be as simple as showing  people the local bus route or teaching them how to use the financial system, or as significant as providing housing  assistance.
Some of the most  important supports are provided  during the first three months, when refugees are eligible for  many federally  funded services.
People exempt from the flight  cancellation, such as Afghans who  have worked for the  U.S. government and  are on special  visas, could be  affected by the  memorandum because it  prevents them from receiving services provided by resettlement  agencies.
"We understand the need to  reassess and  reorganize priorities, but Afghan programs must be  excluded to  avoid a humanitarian  crisis." "This is a  solvable problem and we  are ready to work with the administration to  solve it," said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac and a Navy  veteran.
Without these funds,  it is unclear what support  options are available to them.
"The goal is self-sufficiency," an immigration  lawyer told CNN.  "It reduces people's access to services that help them become  independent."
More than 30,000 refugees have arrived in the United States since the start of the fiscal  year on Oct. 1 and  will receive benefits and  services within three months.
"You arrived a week ago, under the wire, you  met your case manager for three days.  "And now you're not allowed to call  for help," another source said.  "This is  all up in the air. If you're a  newbie, what are you doing now?"

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