Refugee Resettlement Update

January 28, 2025

Refugee Resettlement Update

We are still working through the implications of the executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), issued last week, followed by the stop-work orders sent to government agencies this week. These unprecedented orders could potentially lead to a complete shutdown of refugee operations, including the provision of services for refugees who are already here.

Established by the Refugee Act of 1980, USRAP embodies the U.S.'s commitment to international humanitarian principles, rooted in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. USRAP is a legal and highly vetted process by which to enter the US. These frameworks guarantee the rights of refugees to seek safety, work, and rebuild their lives. You can read more about this program, and our obligations under it, here.

Here at the JCA, we were approved to resettle 225 refugees in this fiscal year. We resettled 101 before these orders came through; it is unclear if we will be able to resettle any others. The new order took effect on January 27, and will be reviewed every 90 days, though there is no guaranteed end date. During this period, no refugees will be permitted to enter the country except under special visas. This will largely shut down our resettlement program. We had been working closely with HIAS National to adapt our operations and expand services for individuals who have already been resettled; however, the stop work orders and freezing of grants issued this week now makes that work unlikely as well. You can read more information from HIAS on these orders here.

When asked about the uncertainty and its potential impact on the community, JCA employee Rachel Kim said, “I feel deeply for the families who were so close to entering the United States. Coming to America should be a joyful and exciting experience, but now it has become something incredibly heartbreaking.” Several refugees expected to arrive next month have had their travel plans canceled, leaving their future uncertain. One family of seven, whose travel was originally planned over the summer, was set to arrive in January to reunite with the husband’s sister, whom he hasn’t seen in decades. Now, that long-awaited reunion is not happening.

Additionally, Inna Cherednichenko, Preferred Communities Program Manager at the JCA, said, "Clients in the Preferred Communities Program are a unique group, including individuals with chronic and incurable diseases, victims of domestic violence, single parents, youth without parental support, people experiencing depression, and those isolated due to language and other barriers. In my opinion, the actions being taken by the government toward refugees are inhumane. Even if funding was intended to be discontinued, it should have been phased out gradually to allow clients and agencies time to prepare. Since it was done abruptly, it will likely lead to serious consequences for everyone involved."

“There is no way to make assumptions right now. We’re simply trying to gather all the information and make decisions based on what we know,” said Refugee Resettlement Director Siobhan Whalen. To read more from Siobhan and learn how resettlement groups in Maine are adapting to the uncertainty of the executive orders, visit: Resettlement Groups in Maine Adapt to Uncertainty After Trump Suspends Refugee Admissions.

We are still working with our national resettlement contacts to unpack these new orders and explore what is possible. We will continue to share updates as they become available. HIAS has provided an excellent article on refugees and how they strengthen our country here. As mentioned above, our refugee resettlement team has settled 101 people so far this fiscal year. They’ve been working incredibly hard and we’re very proud of their efforts. And we’re grateful to all the community support that enables that work.

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Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism at Brandeis University

March 11, 2025

By: Dr. Leslie Kirby, PhD CEO at JCA of Southern Maine As antisemitism becomes more and more accepted by the mainstream, on both sides of the political aisle, it is vital that the Jewish community band together to address this challenge. I was privileged last week to be part of the 2nd cohort of Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism at Brandeis University. This influential program, co-sponsored by JCC Association (JCCA) of North America and Boundless Israel, brought together 51 leaders from 25 communities across the US and Canada and equipped us with tools to address antisemitism and growing polarization in our communities. Coordinated by Rachel Fish, Ph.D., special advisor to the Brandeis University President’s Initiative on Antisemitism and co-founder of Boundless, the seminar was designed to empower JCC leaders to respond proactively to antisemitism, strengthen understanding and connection to Israel, and implement programming that effectively combats Jew-hatred in their local communities in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. “The seminar provides not only foundational knowledge but also practical strategies for JCC leaders to engage their communities around the complex intersection of antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” says Fish. “Clearly defining and addressing the challenges of Jew-hatred and anti-Zionism require a systemic approach, and it begins with leadership. By equipping JCC executives with the tools to navigate these issues, we are empowering them to lead with confidence, ensuring the work of countering Jew-hatred and strengthening connections to Israel continues to grow unabated.” The seminar included practical learning experiences, real-life case studies, and 12 world-class scholars and practitioners from institutions including Brandeis, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Constructive Dialogue Institute, Frieze Family Foundation, Hebrew College, JCC Association, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, National Black Empowerment Council, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Tufts University, and Wilson Center. One of the most interesting aspects to me was the idea of shifting from using the word “antisemitism” to using the phrase “Jew-hatred”. They presented a lot of really solid data showing that many people in the US don’t know what the word antisemitism means. Calling it Jew-hatred is a lot less ambiguous! It will take a while to break the habit of saying antisemitism, but I will be trying in communications with our community to switch to Jew-hatred. Similarly, a lot of people don’t know what the word Zionism means. Another study presented data that showed that simply defining the word for people increased the reported levels of pro-Zionist ideas. Just another reminder to be clear on defining our terminology in both internal and outward-facing ideas. We also learned a lot about the history of antisemitism (Jew-hatred), including the origins of tropes, the role of the former Soviet Union in propagating antisemitic views worldwide, and the recent role of Iran in antisemitic communications, especially on social media. It was fascinating to see how things have shifted, or sometimes cycled, over time. The content was heavy – it’s not an uplifting topic! But it was great to be there, to learn more about the historical and ongoing contexts of antisemitism, to meet so many other execs who are grappling with these issues and have a chance to brainstorm together, and just to sit with all this in a concentrated way. I left with a fabulous network of peers to draw on for ideas, with some strategies I look forward to trying out in our community, and with a lot of hope about the ability of us collectively to respond to the challenges of this moment.