US Refugee Resettlement: What’s Actually Going On

Confused about the suspension of refugee admissions into the US? A lot of people are. There is so much information, both true and false, swirling around that it's easy to feel totally lost. We wrote this to guide you through the chaos.

Afghan refugees hold placards during a meeting to discuss their situation after President Donald Trump paused US refugee programs, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

On January 20, the US government suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), shutting America’s doors to thousands of refugees at the height of the world’s largest displacement crisis. This unprecedented decision—which became effective on January 27—has thrown the futures of countless people into disarray, including those who had already been approved to begin a new life in the US.

Joyce, a single mother of five from South Sudan, resettled in Utah with the hope of building a safer future. Though happy to finally have a home of her own, her apartment was completely unfurnished, and her family had been sleeping on the floor for weeks. When we arrived with mattresses, furniture, and soft bedding, her children finally had a warm, comfortable place to rest. After the unimaginable difficulties of the refugee journey, we were happy to give Joyce’s family a warm welcome.

Over 10,000 refugee flights have been cancelled because of this move. Behind each of these flights is a person who has been waiting for months, if not years, to start a new life as an American. Among them are people waiting to reunite with their families, to practice their faiths and freedoms, to escape torture and death. They were promised safety in the US, and that hope has been stripped from them.

No one chooses to be a refugee. When people are displaced by violence, instability, or natural disasters, they are forced to leave everything they know behind—their homes, belongings, and livelihoods. They embark on a long, difficult journey of rejection after rejection, uncertain of where they will end up.

Mendora was born and raised in an impoverished refugee camp in Kenya, where she never had enough blankets or clothes. Thanks to the USRAP and our Welcome Program, Mendora and her family are now learning English, she’s enrolled in school, and they’re integrating into their community.

On top of the hardships that come with being displaced, the path to being resettled in the US is exceptionally difficult and long. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) approves of less than 1% of all refugees globally to be resettled in another country. Of that miniscule percentage, an even smaller number are referred to the US. Each person must then undergo the USRAP’s lengthy vetting process, one of the hardest pathways to immigrate to the US. This painstaking application consists of in-person interviews where people are scrutinized, recounting their traumatic stories again and again. To ensure they pose zero security risk, they complete rigorous background checks and security screenings.

Our incredible volunteers make our work possible. We will not abandon our refugee neighbors.

The administration’s decision will impact our Welcome Program, where we furnish and prepare apartments for newly arriving refugee families. As we monitor the status of the USRAP, we will adapt our programs in Utah to empower our refugee neighbors on their paths to self sufficiency.

We stand with refugees, and will continue delivering compassionate care and aid at every step of their journeys. Next, we’ll be sharing updates on how federal funding cuts to refugee-supporting NGOs are affecting resettlement efforts—and how we’re stepping up to ensure families in Utah aren’t forgotten.