A Rochester refugee program has taken down its website and — while still open — is keeping its doors locked during business hours.
This is not a case of lost federal funding, which has resettlement programs reeling nationwide.
Refugees Helping Refugees continues to operate. Visitors are still welcome if they contact the nonprofit a day in advance. The organization is taking what’s being characterized as cautionary steps to provide some assurance to its 300 to 350 monthly clients, and to its staff.
“You cannot deny that there is fear,” said Mai Abdullah, the agency’s executive director.
The refugee-led organization provides social services and adult education — not the resettlement program itself, which in Rochester is run by Catholic Charities Family and Community Services. Abdullah said the organization hasn’t received any threats or harassment. Rather, the fear she spoke of is fed by the rhetoric, rumor and ever-changing policies around immigration since President Donald Trump took office, creating uncertainty about what might happen, she said — even though refugees have been extensively vetted and are here legally.
Now Abdullah finds herself speaking for others, where typically the organization was eager to have refugees share their own stories and advocate on their own behalf.
"There is that fear of, 'I don't want to put myself out there ... I don't want to speak up,'" she said, even when doing so could provide needed context and be positive. "We understand the fear of, 'I would rather not bring attention to my family right now. I would rather just maybe wait and see what happens.'"
That unease is seen within the organization as well.
“Folks decided to, like, stay home, not come out for English classes. Sometimes they call us to say, ‘I have an appointment with the doctor. I'm worried that I don't want to go,’” Abdullah said, explaining many use public transportation, “and they don't want to put themselves out in a situation where it might be dangerous for themselves.”
The group’s English classes typically have between 15 to 20 students but lately, over the past three weeks, “we had maybe one or two show up," she said.
Those three weeks have seen a dizzying array of Trump directives around refugee resettlement and immigration in general. One of his first executive orders paused refugee resettlement efforts and funding and revoked humanitarian parole programs.
The Rochester program relies heavily on federal grants through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. And that funding has since restarted, she said. But for the resettlement agencies, like the American Civic Association assisting refugees in Binghamton, those dollars reportedly remain frozen. A message left with Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, Rochester’s official resettlement office, was not immediately returned.
“It's been challenging because there is so much uncertainty out there and kind of conflicting and confusing reports,” Abdullah said.
The website was taken down because it had client photos and staff names. Now the domain goes to a generic image, telling visitors the site is under construction and provides a link for donations.
