World Relief, a Baltimore-based non-profit that helps resettle refugees, said Wednesday it will lay off more than 140 staff after the Trump administration's decision to allow in fewer refugees.
World Relief will close five offices across the country, including one in Glen Burnie. The organization employed 741 people in 2014, according to its latest tax filing. It is unclear how many are employed in Glen Burnie and if any Baltimore employees are laid off.
"Our staff at each of these locations have served diligently and sacrificially—some of them for many years—and we are deeply saddened to have to make this difficult decision," World Relief President Scott Arbeiter said in a statement. "These staff members are also experts whose vast experience has brought an effectiveness and professionalism to their work. This represents a loss of more than 140 jobs — which by itself is deeply troubling — but also decades of organizational expertise and invaluable capacity to serve the world's most vulnerable people."
Last month, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order suspending entry for 90 days for people from seven countries. The U.S. Refugee Admissions program was also suspended for 120 days and the total number of refugees allowed in will be capped at 50,000 for 2017, down from 110,000.
The five offices World Relief is closing helped resettled more than 25,000 refugees over the past four decades, the organization said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Advocates for immigrants say they are tracking reports of federal agents stopping and detaining undocumented immigrants in the Baltimore area amid an enforcement crackdown elsewhere in the country.
While the courts have halted Republican President Donald J. Trump's order to block visitors from seven...
Advocates for immigrants say they are tracking reports of federal agents stopping and detaining undocumented immigrants in the Baltimore area amid an enforcement crackdown elsewhere in the country.
While the courts have halted Republican President Donald J. Trump's order to block visitors from seven...
cwells@baltsun.com
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