Office of Refugee Resettlement Program
(Refugee Resettlement)
Department of Health and Human ServicesRefugees and asylees; resettlement agencies nationwide
Summary
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, helps refugees and asylees who have legally arrived in the U.S. get on their feet through time-limited cash and medical assistance, case management, English classes, and job-readiness services. The FY2027 budget proposes cutting $768 million from this program, a 75% reduction, which the administration justifies by pointing to a much smaller refugee admissions target.
Who Is Affected
The cut would hit refugees and asylees currently receiving or waiting for cash assistance, medical coverage, and resettlement case management, as well as the network of resettlement agencies nationwide that rely on federal grants to run these services. The refugee admissions ceiling was already slashed from 125,000 in FY2025 to just 7,500 in FY2026 — the lowest cap in U.S. history — and many resettlement agencies had their federal cooperative agreements terminated in February 2025, forcing layoffs and office closures even before this proposed budget cut.
What this cut would actually mean
If enacted, far fewer refugees and asylees would receive the short-term cash and medical assistance, English-language instruction, and job-placement help that has historically helped them become self-sufficient within their first months in the U.S. Resettlement agencies that have already lost staff and closed offices since 2025 would lose most of their remaining federal support, likely shrinking the country's capacity to resettle refugees for years even if admissions levels rise again in the future.
Sources
- White House floats 12.5% budget cut for HHS in FY2027, reiterates reorganization plan — Confirms the $768 million reduction proposed for the refugee resettlement program in the FY2027 HHS budget request.
- Refugee Resettlement Program | The Administration for Children and Families — ORR's own description of the services it provides to refugees, including cash and medical assistance, case management, English classes, and job-readiness support.
- The Dismantling of US Refugee Resettlement and Its Impacts | Baker Institute — Reports that the refugee admissions ceiling was cut to 7,500 for FY2026, the lowest level in U.S. history.
- The Weakening Foundation of International Protection | Baker Institute — Notes the refugee admissions ceiling fell from 125,000 in FY2025 to 7,500 in FY2026.
- How have the Trump administration's policies impacted refugees? | The IRC — Describes the termination of resettlement agencies' federal cooperative agreements in February 2025 and resulting loss of infrastructure.
- Trump administration sets lowest-ever cap on refugee admissions to U.S. : NPR — Reports on resettlement agencies shuttering services in response to the drastically reduced admissions cap and funding.
Administration's Stated Rationale
“Reduced refugee admissions target results in lower resettlement support needs.”