CLEVELAND — Every year, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) helps thousands of people fleeing war, persecution, and violence start new lives right here in Northeast Ohio.
We’ve been following how a federal crackdown has impacted their operations for months.
At one point, they laid off a third of their staff and weren’t sure what the future would hold.
But now, they’re feeling a sense of optimism—even as uncertainty still lingers.
Ahmad Aria came to the U.S. as a refugee from Afghanistan years ago.
“We came as SIVs (Special Immigrant Visas). We planned to come; we had the time to sell stuff, bring funds and come in,” Aria said.
But his experience was very different from what refugees are facing now.
“They have everything that they need for their life here. They're blending into the community. Now there is a chance of being held and deported that is big. I cannot explain it in words,” Aria said.
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is just one of the resettlement agencies dealing with ongoing uncertainty due to policy changes under the new administration.
First, flights for incoming refugees were canceled back in January.
“We had 29 people scheduled to arrive prior to the trump administration,” said Peter Simonides, the deputy director of USCRI.
Then, USCRI’s federal funding disappeared, leading to layoffs.
RELATED: Cleveland resettlement agency forced to lay off staff amid federal funding freezes
But in the past month, the tide has started to turn.
“They paid us back through December, January, February and March, up to that point, and then they said that they were going to resume payments on a regular basis,” Simonides said.
After months of community support helping USCRI keep families on their feet, the agency has continued its programs and even brought back a few staff members.
“We brought a small group of staff back. We haven't done that for our other programs because we're still a little bit unsure, so we don't want to bring people back, and then, so we're still in this limbo a little,” Simonides said.
There’s still uncertainty over whether the refugee admissions program will be fully restored.
“That's the program through the state department where new arrivals come. So that is still completely closed. The contract is not operable at the moment,” Simonides said.
And for Afghans already in the U.S., their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been voided, effective July 14. This affects around 9,000 Afghans nationwide. However, most in Cleveland have already secured other forms of legal status. Still, the back-and-forth and ongoing changes have led some refugees to question whether they should return to the countries they fled.
“We have had maybe an increasing number in the past four months who've been really struggling, and with the uncertainty,” Simonides said.
As USCRI remains unsure how long their funding will last, they’re just trying to stay hopeful and do what they can with what they have.
“One day at a time, I think has been the name of the game since January,” Simonides said.
