Trump Cuts USAID and Refugee Program Staff

The Trump administration has initiated substantial cutbacks and restructuring of both the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the federal refugee resettlement program. The USAID will see its global staff reduced to below 300, prompting fears of severe impacts on international aid efforts. Concurrently, Trump's executive orders have halted refugee resettlement, causing layoffs across organizations like Church World Services and the International Institute of St. Louis, which rely on federal funding for support operations. Agencies are struggling to maintain services amidst funding freezes, affecting thousands of refugees and staff. Critics argue that these actions jeopardize the support systems essential for refugees already in the U.S. The situation underscores the political challenges facing long-standing humanitarian and refugee support systems in the U.S.