Der Yang knew there wasn’t much time.
It was fall 2024, with a possible second term for President Donald Trump on the horizon. During his first term, Trump sought to ban Syrian refugees, paused resettlement entirely for months and set a record-low cap on the number of refugees allowed into the country.
Yang and her team at the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA) didn’t wait to find out what was coming next. Instead, they got to work resettling as many refugees as they could before Trump’s inauguration. Long hours at the office stretched even longer, and drives to the airport became more frequent. Staff rushed to secure housing for newcomers and make sure it was furnished.
From that October to January, the organization welcomed 233 people in Omaha and another 70 in Lincoln.
They haven’t resettled anyone since.
The Trump administration’s freeze on refugee resettlement at the end of January 2025 started a domino effect throughout the country. Vetted refugees, days away from entering the U.S., had their flights canceled overnight. Funding to support newly arrived refugees was suspended. Layoffs began at resettlement agencies, then programs closed altogether.
In the year since, what was once a robust refugee resettlement landscape in Nebraska has become a shadow of its former self. Of four resettlement agencies in the state, only one, Lutheran Family Services, is actively resettling refugees. Newcomers number in the dozens. And this year, all new Nebraska refugees have come from one country: South Africa.
It’s a dramatic change for the Cornhusker state, which in previous years accepted thousands of refugees from dozens of countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar and South Sudan. Those same refugees are now facing empty pantries and financial hardship amid increasing eligibility restrictions for programs like SNAP and Medicaid. Resettlement agencies are relying more heavily on private funds to help meet those emerging needs, all while navigating a constantly shifting legal landscape.
“It’s almost like pulling the rug from underneath them,” said Yang, CIRA’s director of refugee services. “When we agreed to resettle them, we had promised them safety. They were leaving war-torn countries and really unsafe places … Now, with all the policy changes, they’re going to be without food. They’re going to be without health insurance. There’s even talk about them being without housing.”
The Trump administration has said the freeze is necessary to stem increasing migration to the U.S. In his executive order, Trump wrote that the U.S. doesn’t have the ability to welcome large numbers of refugees into its communities “in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.”
But for Nebraska’s refugee communities, the federal changes feel alienating. Assimilation has become daunting, particularly because some refugees already in the state have been unable to reunite with their loved ones overseas since the freeze took effect.
“Refugees want to be here,” Yang said. “They have accepted that this is home. So the policy changes and the current political climate that we live in makes them feel unwelcome and unsafe. As people and as an agency that welcomed them here, these policy changes go against everything that we have stood for.”
***
Two years ago, Nebraska’s resettlement agencies had a clear focus.
Staff were the first to greet refugees when they stepped off the plane and helped get them settled into apartments. They tried to teach newcomers how to use the U.S. banking system and how to catch a bus. They signed them up for ESL classes and helped them find job opportunities.
“We’re helping families apply for public benefits such as SNAP and Medicaid and any cash assistance,” Yang said. “We’re making sure that they are getting the health screenings that they need. We’re enrolling children in school.”
The funding for these early efforts — generally restricted to the first 90 days — came from the federal Reception and Placement program. Agencies received one-time payments for each refugee they took on. Getting newcomers self-sufficient quickly was the priority, said Poe Dee, director of refugee and immigrant services at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
“When refugees come, they know that they’re not going to rely on government benefits forever — they know that they have to work,” Dee said.
Who is a refugee?
Under U.S. law, a refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of demonstrable persecution or fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a specific social group. They are of special humanitarian concern to the U.S., and are located outside of the country. They must be admissible to the U.S., and not firmly resettled in another country.
In fiscal year 2024, Nebraska resettled the most refugees per capita of any state, according to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. That year wasn’t an outlier; Nebraska welcomed the most refugees per capita over a 10-year span starting in 2013, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Immigration Research Initiative.
But after Trump’s inauguration, the agencies’ resettlement work came to a screeching halt. For months, Nebraska didn’t resettle any new refugees, according to federal data.
Days after the resettlement freeze, the federal government suspended funding for support services for newly arrived refugees. The agencies had to shoulder the costs themselves or simply stop offering them while in limbo.
“Thousands and thousands of people were left under the care of entities that were actually operating on fumes,” said Dekow Sagar, CEO and founder of Omaha-based International Council for Refugees and Immigrants. “I think that was the most shocking part for me. I knew (Trump) would probably freeze resettlement … but I thought the refugees that they already brought here, they’d make sure that they got (resources).”
Chris Tonniges, president and CEO of Lutheran Family Services, ran through scenarios with his staff before the freeze hit. They’d seen cuts to the refugee program during Trump’s first term and were braced for similar reductions in his second. While the organization was budgeting to accept 1,600 refugees, Tonniges knew the chances of that being pared back were high. But no one expected a complete shutdown.
“We were nowhere even (close to being) prepared to be in the position we ended up in in January,” Tonniges said.
In March 2025, LFS laid off 13 employees as a result of the freeze. The organization cut 60 positions, Tonniges said, though they were able to reassign many employees.
The International Council for Refugees and Immigrants, which started resettling refugees in 2024, had to lay off six employees and make several full-time staff members part time, said Samira Sarwary, ICRI’s finance manager. The organization now has 27 full-time employees. Sagar, the organization’s CEO, is unsure if that number is sustainable.
Sarwary said ICRI lost almost $825,000 as a result of the freeze — about 25% of its total budget.
Erik Omar, executive director of CIRA, said the organization lost roughly $5 million, including funds lost because of the resettlement freeze and subsequent funds lost as a result of closing four programs designed specifically for newly arrived refugees.
Agencies have relied more on private contracts and philanthropy to maintain refugee support services over the past year. Private dollars have made it possible for CIRA to build a new program aimed at helping meet refugees’ longer-term needs, Yang said. Private funding means they have a greater ability to pivot and change services as needed, she added.
“However, funding is limited, and so we can’t make up for a federal program that has been taken away,” Yang said, “but we’re really trying our best.”
Who resettled refugees in Nebraska?
Four organizations were resettling refugees in the state before the January 2025 freeze. While only Lutheran Family Services is actively resettling refugees, all four organizations continue to offer support services for refugees already in Nebraska. Click the links below for more information on programs and services offered by each organization.
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement
***
Sebit Deng smiled and gestured to the small, quiet boy sitting beside him at the Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska conference room table.
“He is not my son,” Deng said.
It was late February, and Deng was looking after the child while his mother, a South Sudanese refugee, went to apply for her driver’s license. She hoped a license would open up new job opportunities, Deng said. After losing SNAP benefits, her current pay stopped being enough to cover her family’s expenses.
“Her children, she doesn’t want them to be stressed,” Deng said. “So that’s why now she is fighting to try to help herself, and we’ll try to help her.”
As a member of Catholic Social Services’ immigration legal services team and a former South Sudanese refugee himself, Deng knows refugee assistance takes many shapes. Sometimes, it’s child care. Other times, it’s helping someone apply for housing assistance or find a new job. More and more, it’s making sure people have food in their bellies.
It also has become a game of misinformation whack-a-mole as fears and rumors spread through refugee communities.
“You see things on TV, you hear things on the radio,” said Katie Patrick, executive director of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. “You heard from a friend, from a friend of a friend. As much as we can be a reliable source of information, it’s very important, because we don’t want people making choices or reacting to hearsay.”
Separating fact from fiction has been complicated by constant changes to federal immigration policy. In January, ICE’s detention of Minnesotan refugees for reverification was quickly challenged in court. By February, DHS issued a new memo authorizing the detention of refugees who haven’t applied for a green card within one year of arriving in the U.S. A federal judge in Massachusetts has since temporarily blocked the policy from being enforced.
While advocates say they’re not aware of any Nebraska refugees being detained under the memo, they’re not waiting for an arrest to start informing families. In March, CIRA hosted know-your-rights-trainings to help refugees understand what the memo means for them. Among the suggestions: If an eligible refugee hasn’t yet applied for a green card, they should consult with an attorney about starting the process.
“Legal permanent resident status is always going to be more secure,” said Alex Araya, an attorney with CIRA.
On a Thursday afternoon in March, Erika Abrahan stepped into the CSS office to take that next step. The Venezuelan refugee arrived in Nebraska in January 2025 and had been working with CSS’ immigration team to get the green card application process started. Now, she was back to pay CSS an administrative fee for their assistance.
Before the federal cuts, Dee said, CSS could offer green card application help for free. Now, fees are necessary to cover the team’s expenses. It costs $315 for an adult, $210 for a minor and half off for clients who qualify for low-income assistance.
“Now we have to charge them to make the program run,” Dee said. “It’s hard. You know their situation, you know their income status, but it is what it is, and you just have to do what is best for the program, for everyone.”
Across the room, Deng greeted Frank Pittman, a Liberian man who came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2004. Now a naturalized citizen, he made an appointment with CSS hoping to submit a petition to bring his new wife and her children to the U.S. as well.
As the appointment came to a close, Deng jotted down a list of documents to bring to the next meeting and showed Pittman out. Then the immigration specialist made his way back to his desk and shared a sobering update: the South Sudanese mother from the month before hadn’t secured her driver’s license.
***
The U.S. refugee program has remained largely dormant since January 2025. But one group — white South Africans — was granted an exemption and prioritized for resettlement by Trump. The president has amplified false claims that white South African farmers are experiencing genocide, and has accused the South African government of subjecting them to racial discrimination.
Since May 2025, more than 3,000 white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, have entered the country as refugees.
As of mid-March, 41 South Africans had been resettled in Nebraska by Lutheran Family Services, the only organization actively accepting refugees in Nebraska. Last year was the first year Nebraska resettled refugees from South Africa.
While LFS has continued its resettlement program on a smaller scale, the federal government’s decision to prioritize one group for resettlement was a deciding factor for two Nebraska organizations no longer resettling refugees.
Yang, the director of refugee services at CIRA, said the organization had internal discussions before reaching that decision. If resettlement remained open to everyone, especially those already screened and approved to come to the U.S., they would continue doing the work.
“But because that isn’t the case, currently, we have decided we’re not going to resettle,” she said. “If it were to open up again where it’s for every population to come, I think that it’s definitely a possibility for us. But until that happens, I think we are really focused on serving the refugees that are currently here in Omaha and Lincoln.”
For Sagar, who came to the U.S. as a Somali refugee, resettling South Africans presented a moral dilemma. He spent his formative years in a refugee camp in Kenya and founded ICRI after realizing there was a shortage of long-term support resources for refugees. It has grown to offer youth programming, business development and mental health services for new arrivals.
He recalled his own entry to the U.S. in 2007 under then-President George W. Bush and how being Somali, Muslim and Black didn’t hinder his ability to resettle and begin a new life helping others. Limiting the resettlement program to South Africans frustrates him.
“I don’t think they really meet the criteria of a refugee,” Sagar said. “I think it would be morally wrong for me to say we’re working with people who might be coming here for other reasons, because I think it kind of undermines the plight of people who are actually facing an actual prosecution or fleeing conflict or genocide or systematic oppression.”
For Catholic Social Services, the decision to continue resettling refugees was taken out of their hands. The organization’s national affiliate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced it would end its refugee resettlement contract with the federal government last April.
“A 40-year relationship has ended,” said Patrick, executive director of CSS. “It’s a heartbreak.”
Patrick doesn’t anticipate the Conference of Catholic Bishops resuming its role as a resettlement organization. But if resettlement shifts to a different model, Patrick said CSS would be happy to participate in resettlement activities again.
Tonniges of Lutheran Family Services said the closure of CSS’ resettlement program has downstream effects on his organization. Staff used to walk individuals back and forth between the two offices in Lincoln, making sure they had access to as many resources as possible, he said.
“It’s a loss for the community and it’s a loss for us, because there was this real sort of symbiotic relationship … we sort of rely on each other to fill gaps, in real partnership with one another,” he said.
The future of refugee resettlement in Nebraska is unclear. This fiscal year, the Trump administration set another record-low refugee admissions cap of 7,500 — and announced plans to continue prioritizing Afrikaners.
Advocates predict future administrations will work to restore the resettlement program. But with three of four agencies in the state having stopped resettlement, it’s hard to tell how many will be in a position to resume three years from now.
“I think rebuilding the infrastructure is going to take a long time, because everything has been demolished,” said Sagar, the ICRI director. “… Will we be able to actually join that again? I hope so, but I think it’s gonna be quite some time.”
Refuge at Risk: About this series
Halted refugee resettlement, rescinded SNAP benefits, fear of deportation – read along in the coming months as we go deeper into how the changes to immigration policy under the Trump administration have upended life for the thousands of refugees who now call Nebraska home.
29 Comments
Wake up babe, the newest Flatwater hit piece just dropped! I was starting to wonder if Flatwater had lost its taste for political propaganda and was only going to publish stories about obscure restaurants from now on. But here we go again.
You know what I actually got out of this article was that when “refugees” were allowed from CERTAIN countries, there were at least four organizations in Nebraska willing to help import those individuals. As soon as Trump got elected and changed which countries refugees were allowed to come from, three of those four agencies decided it was better to self destruct than to help people from THOSE countries. Hmmm.
Sounds kinda racist to me!
Firstly I would say that nationality does not dictate someone’s race. Secondly I believe the only real change that was made by this current administration is the definition of refugee. The fact is these organizations, and many citizens I might add, do not believe the refugees from South Africa fit the strict definition of what a refugee is. The facts about their supposed plight are nebulous and difficult to come by, and that is being generous. They also come to the United States with considerably more resources of their own than previous refugees have, which of course calls into question whether or not these services should be made available to them at all. A logical person such as yourself surely could understand how private, sometimes religious based, organizations such as these would struggle with the moral dilemma of offering help to someone who may not really need it and is only eligible for it via a political whim and not a moral need. I for one applaud Lutheran Family Services for their decision to continue resettlement, if only because in the future this decision to include South Africans into the previously very strict definition of refugee might open the door to other people around the world who previously fell outside that definition.
“f only because in the future this decision to include South Africans into the previously very strict definition of refugee might open the door to other people around the world who previously fell outside that definition.”
Simply inaccurate. Under Obama, and especially Cenile Biden, hundreds of thousands of refugee applicants were allowed into the US without proper vetting; the definition of “refugee” under Cenile Biden was largely ignored in favor of allowing most anyone in without a proper investigation.
And we are paying the price now!
Thank GOD for pause of the refugee program under Trump.
The idea that these guidelines were not followed or have been ignored in the past is provably false. The guidelines are, and have been, very strict and the process individuals follow to receive benefits is long and full of red tape and oversight. You may be conflating refugees with undocumented immigrants, or you have not done your due diligence on the subject by going straight to the source. I would invite you to view the eligibility guidelines and benefits available to those eligible for yourself at the link I have provided.
https://acf.gov/orr/programs/refugees/factsheets
The only inaccuracy is you using the word “cenile” lol I think you might be a bit senile yourself
” A logical person such as yourself surely could understand how private, sometimes religious based, organizations such as these would struggle with the moral dilemma of offering help to someone who may not really need it ”
No, this reticence of resettlement groups to work with certain QUALIFIED refugees based on their race is well, 100% RACIST. A logical person such as yourself surely should understand racism in its most obvious manifestation.
These agencies are bound to help qualified individuals, and those qualifications are set by the federal government. None of those qualifications are, or have been, based on race. Congress determines who is classified as a refugee. Anyone who isn’t cannot receive these benefits. If they do, the agencies responsible would be in serious trouble with the federal government.
“Firstly I would say that nationality does not dictate someone’s race.”
No one made that assertion.
Now, if one is targeted for persecution in a country BECAUSE of his race (as is the case in SA), then yes, it’s racism 100%. You just don’t believe that blacks who are in POWER can ever be racist; it ruins your narrative of who is ALWAYS the victim and who is ALWAYS the perp.
Come on, man.
The “cenility” really jumped out here lol
I have no such beliefs. In fact, there are a lot of refugees that have resettled to the United States in recent years that are ethnically white. These resettlement agencies have provided services to Ukrainian refugees in recent years who have been widely accepted into our communities. I suppose you could say the South African refugees are being rejected in the resettlement community for political reasons, however I would suppose many people would assert that they have been labeled as refugees for political reasons. Regardless of how either of us feel about them being here, they’re here and they are receiving benefits.
“United States in recent years that are ethnically white.”
There is no such thing as “ethnically white.”. That’s not even a thing! “White” is, and has always been, and RACIAL category.
Why the extraordinary effort to excuse the blatant racism of these well-paid resettlement groups?
Yes J, a logical person might understand the viewpoint of a religious organization, particularly someone who has a Master’s Degree in a religious area of study from a well-known Christian university!
And thats also why I question the “logic” of allowing an allegedly “religious” organization to shut down and make it’s own employees into unemployed individuals, rather than help a CERTAIN group of people just because they feel the color of their skin isn’t right, their nationality isn’t what they wanted it to be, or they have “too many” resources already. Such a decision isn’t rooted in the Christian faith, but in a secular worldview driven by political agendas which judge men on matters not rooted in faith.
Which is exactly the reason that in my professional and personal opinion, these organizations weren’t actually “religious” at all! They were political organizations that made a political decision for purely political reasons.
“I was starting to wonder if Flatwater had lost its taste for political propaganda ”
I call these sob-story immigration pieces from FFP, “immigration porn.” They are intended to appeal to one’s base emotions, instead of a well-balanced piece on how many “refugees” are allowed to enter without vetting, and of course, the inevitable consequence that way too many are actually criminals seeking refuge from jail in their home countries. Or how much these resettlement groups are paid to assist with NO QUESTIONS asked.
It’s just porn..
That makes no sense. It says their funding was cut and that’s why they had to shut down. What’s racist is that they’re only sending white people and stopped sending people of color. That’s actually very racist and aligns with the White nationalism this country is now following under the white supremacist administration
“Political propaganda is anything that dares to challenge my perfect and correct view of the world, and independent journalism isn’t really independent unless it’s catering to my specific worldview” – Logic Haver
How much has CIRA (or Lutheran Social Services) been paid by the US Gov’t to resettle these folks?
It’s not as if these groups are doing the work for nothing! So yes, OF COURSE they object to defunding under Trump!
What a garbage article. Flatwater is coming out more like back water. Get a clue, immigration is hurting this country and Nebraska doesn’t need to be the per capita leader in accepting immigrants and refugees.
This article is really heartbreaking for me. I was very proud of the refugee resettlement work done in Nebraska when my husband and I lived there. My husband was a rural pastor and I worked as a registered nurse.
Shortly after President Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 He issued (by executive order) what was called the “Muslim Ban” – banning people from seven majority Muslim countries.
I remember a family from Syria had just made it to Omaha and their story was covered on the local Omaha News stations. I was sick about thevban. It seemed so wrong and cruel to me.
Shortly after Trump’s travel ban, my husband and I learned about a family with a tiny baby from DRCongo who was at UNMCz The baby was dying of liver disease. We wanted to welcone this family to the U.S. and let them know we welcomed them. We became friends. The baby girl needed a liver transplant. UNMC refused to pursue a liver transplant for the baby as the family were not citizens and had no health insurance. Their story was widely covered in local Omaha TV news and the OWH. I had traveled to DRC three years earlier and I wanted this family to know that there are kind and caring people in the U.S. who would help them.
We are still friends to this day, Their little girl is now nine years old. She DID receive a liver transplant – not at UNMC- but at Massachusetts General. She is a healthy, smart, and vibrant nine years old. Her name means Hope.
In the Gospel message Jesus tells us to Love One Another and Welcome the Stranger. I plan to continuing being a good and welcoming neighbor.
Thank you FWP for covering stories like this. I appreciate it.
I’m an American citizen. My husband and I go without health insurance because we can’t afford it. I don’t care if these people go without welfare!!!
“While advocates say they’re not aware of any Nebraska refugees being detained under the memo, they’re not waiting for an arrest to start informing families. In March, CIRA hosted know-your-rights-trainings to help refugees understand what the memo means for them. Among the suggestions: If an eligible refugee hasn’t yet applied for a green card, they should consult with an attorney about starting the process.
“Legal permanent resident status is always going to be more secure,” said Alex Araya, an attorney with CIRA.”
huh, novel……. these organizations now focus on legal immigration requirements and process instead of focusing on getting them on SNAP and Medicaid….
I’m for immigration, but wide open borders, cash and cell phones for anyone that can walk across the border is not sustainable.
I knew when I saw the title of this article that J. Gross and Logic Haver would be having their typical meltdowns in the comments over what stories FFP decides to pursue lol it’s like a little treat at the end of the article to see the triggered snowflakes in the comments
We are such a small-minded nation, unlike our neighbor Canada, who continues to readily accept refugees. Perhaps we are becoming more similar to other countries that restrict refugees. The Gulf states, Hungary, and Israel all come to mind. And then there is Japan, who is dealing with an aging population and a diminishing workforce because of their strict immigration policies. I fear we will face a similar fate, as we also have an aging population, a declining birth rate, and a diminishing workforce. It takes special people and organizations to integrate someone into the community, as detailed here by Emily Wolf. I applaud these organizations that carry on best they can without government funding, and I welcome all persons who want to be here and who aspire to work and take part in the community.
Feel free to apply as a refugee in Canada.
Sounds like a great place, eh.
Actually, thats a pretty good point Mr. Gross.
I had a similar thought recently when visiting the city of St. Louis, MO. The whole city is an absolute WRECK. Entire neighborhoods composed of dilapidated buildings covered in overgrown plants. Even the parts of the city that appear “nice” on the outside aren’t nice on the inside. The hotel I stayed in, very expensive and right next to the convention center, looked great on the outside and had a major brand name, but inside everything was broken. Broken elevators, broken ice machines, even the “pool” (such as it was) had a sign posted saying it was out of order. This is the same city where a Tuskegee Airman was robbed twice on the same day just trying to visit his daughter.
Many of the people living in that city are probably worse off economically than some “refugees” who come to America. But where is there for these American citizens to go? Would any other country accept them as refugees? Is anyone here in this country trying to help them or rebuild their dying city? Of course not.
Only brown skinned people from far away places are worthy of sympathy, apparently. And Flatwater is here to trumpet that fact, in spite of what a majority of voters had to say to the contrary in the last election cycle. Hmmm!
Three ad hominem attacks on this article alone, but not one post on any article that is germane to the article?
How is this acceptable, FFP?
You’re whining about “ad hominem attacks” while replying to people who are actually engaging with this article with snide comments like, “Feel free to apply as a refugee in Canada.” Please be serious lol
hahahahahahahahahaha
that’s funny
So, there were originally four of these social service organizations that helped refugees. Then Trump was elected, he changed which countries refugees were allowed from, and three of those four organizations chose to press the giant red self-destruct button rather than keep helping people from the “wrong” country.
I find it interesting that several of these organizations claimed to be Christian, or Catholic in particular. Have they not read the story of the Good Samaritan? Jesus was telling people to help their neighbors, and one man asked a very good question, “who is my neighbor?” In response Jesus tells the story of the “Good” Samaritan, who rescues a wounded man that was robbed on the road while traveling between two cities. The big plot twist is that the man helping is a Samaritan, a group of people who were widely hated because their city had a reputation for being full of evil people with bad intentions. The very idea that anyone from that city could be “good” was unheard of, and that someone from there would help a person who was robbed was even more shocking. But the point was made that if even a Samaritan could recognize that it was the right thing to do to help a person in need, who are you to decide who is and is not deserving of help?
Were these three “Christian” organizations that refused to help people from the “wrong” country really following the bible? Or were they following their own political whims? Are the people from that “wrong” country so terrible that even the Good Samaritan would turn his back on them? Or is their country only the “wrong” one because it was chosen by a politician that many people don’t like?