Executive action by the Trump administration in January and February cut federal funding for refugee resettlement nationwide and forced Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains to suddenly lay off 3 out of its 5 staff in Billings.
That includes two case workers and an employment specialist who served more-than a dozen families from Venezuela, Afghanistan and Iraq. Refugee & Asylee Programs Director LaChelle Amos said the loss is a big deal for their organization.
“When you’re a small team, everyone wears multiple hats. Everyone pitches in. So, when you lose three people in a small office, the impacts of that are very severely felt,” said Amos.
Now, volunteers and members of the community are pitching in to fill a gap in both funding and staff. That includes one of the organization's former employees, Nay Naing, who on Friday helped staff and volunteers move furniture and other supplies for a local family out of the office basement.
Naing moved to the United States as a refugee from Myanmar. He says he joined Lutheran Family Services in Billings as a caseworker last year and learned about his layoff in early March.
“I was sad and then shocked,” said Naing.
The same passion that drew him to the organization in Billings also brought him back as a volunteer Friday.
“I know that we have very similar barriers and struggles, so I wanted to help people with similar difficulties,” he said.
There are impacts beyond loss of funding, according to LaChelle Amos. Just over two dozen refugees and holders of Special Immigration Visas were set to come to Billings through their program, but their travel and resettlement has been halted for now. Holders of Special Immigration Visas are accepted into the United States for their participation with the U.S. government.
Amos said among the people in limbo are relatives of families already in Billings.
“For me personally, I’m just trying to remain steady and centered and really be able to be fully present as a source of support for our families in a time of a lot of uncertainty, lots of major shifts and also a lot of increased fears,” said Amos.
Edit 4/1/25: An updated version of this story clarifies that federal funding through the Billings program is also used for certain categories of individuals who hold Special Immigration Visas, or people who assisted the U.S. government in their countries of origin.
