Catholic Charities of San Diego is confronting a challenging future as President Donald Trump’s border policies lead to significant layoffs. With changes in federal immigration funding and a shift in the administration’s stance on migrant assistance, Catholic Charities is now forced to reduce its scale of operations.
Layoffs and program reductions due to federal funding freeze
Catholic Charities is hitting the pause button on the busloads of asylum-seeking migrants. Reports say more than 70 people who work with the charity’s migrant service programs could lose their jobs.
“There’s not a humanitarian crisis.” We always have to be responsible and accountable for the tax dollars invested into us as an agency,” said Vino Pajanor, Catholic Charities CEO.
Catholic Charities USA is the national voluntary membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies throughout the United States and its territories. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, an international federation of Catholic social service organizations. Catholic Charities USA is also the national office of 167 local Catholic Charities agencies nationwide.
With the Trump administration halting federal funding and cracking down at the border, Pajanor says the charity is now being forced to lay off people working in two of its migrant programs: refugee services and its migrant respite shelter.
“We need to close down operations and scale it down — still have a presence when needed, but not at this scale,” Pajanor said of the charity’s previous 800-bed capacity.
The changes will affect around 42 people working in those programs in San Diego, who will be laid off. Another 31 will lose their jobs in Imperial County.
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Pajanor said that even though he’s downhearted to see them potentially leave, released employees are offered other company opportunities. Pajanor reported that they have low-income senior housing, a homeless shelter, and so many different programs that these individuals are given priority on all the openings around the agency.
Pajanor revealed that the federal government gave them about $9 million worth of their $46 million budget for the year at the zenith of the migrant surge. According to Catholic Charities, it has served 405,000 migrants from 146 countries over four years.
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Tessla Tinkler, the director of research for an organization, is following the funding cuts to nonprofits. Tinkler explained that almost three-quarters, like seventy-two percent, have reported that they either had direct or anticipated impacts very soon. Nearly a third have already had to modify programs or, in some cases, discontinue some services and programs.
With the federal funding freeze, Pajanor has revealed that his organization is pivoting to find funding. He said these individuals can be supported through private philanthropy, foundations, and the community contributing their quota. Jewish Family Services has also announced potential layoffs for its migrant shelter workers.
The layoffs are anticipated to go into effect at the end of April, signaling a new chapter for the organization and its ongoing efforts to support migrants.