KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Services helping refugees legally resettle in Kansas City are facing impacts and confusion following orders from the federal government.
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Ryan Hudnall, executive director of Della Lamb Community Services, said the changes were abrupt.
"There’s three significant events that have happened since Jan. 20 that have imposed a lot of uncertainty for the refugee resettlement program," he said.
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) until it "aligns with the interests of the United States." USRAP was first established in 1980.
Della Lamb helps refugees vetted through USRAP. In 2024, it welcomed 433 refugees to Kansas City through USRAP and served 801 Cuban and Haitian refugees through another legal program.
"The new administration is assessing what the United States Refugee Admissions Program will look like for years to come," Hudnall said.
Both Della Lamb and Jewish Vocational Services saw the effects of the executive order firsthand.
“You’ll have some families abroad who were planning to rejoin family members here, who have been waiting to be resettled for — in some cases —decades," Hudnall said. “We had those who were scheduled to arrive later in January and in February, those flights have all been canceled."
Hilary Singer, executive director of Jewish Vocational Services, spoke with a refugee in Kansas City whose husband was set to join her this week. His flight was canceled.
“The hopes she had for finally being able to be reunited with her husband fell apart," she said.
On Jan. 24, a stop-work order was issued.
The United States Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration suspended all of its financial awards to the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Della Lamb's partner. Della Lamb was told to cease all activities funded under those awards.
Unlike the executive order, the stop-work order impacted refugees already in the United States.
“We need to continue to support those who have already arrived and need support with job placement, school enrollment and other aspects of their integration into Kansas City," Hudnall said.
In addition to job placement and school enrollment, Della Lamb helps refugees with housing, medical screenings and facilitates government registration.
“Most that we welcome will be economically self-sufficient in 12 months," Hudnall said.
The potential freeze on federal funding adds to Della Lamb's concerns. The nonprofit is turning to the Kansas City community for volunteers and donations.
“We’re effectively providing the same services that someone would receive through the publicly funded program, but we’re going to continue to provide those services albeit with private funding now," Hudnall said.
Della Lamb began crowdfunding on Jan. 27 in response to the stop-work order.
“To date, the administration has not provided clarification about how we best navigate this stop-work order, but we’re seeing the ripple effects of that through furloughs and layoffs at the national and state level," Hudnall said.
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Della Lamb said it has ethical and moral obligations to help refugees who are already in Kansas City.
"And so, right now, we’ve not laid off or furloughed anyone," Hudnall said.
KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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