Nebraska
Refuge at risk: In Trump’s second term, Nebraska’s once-thriving refugee resettlement landscape has come undone
LINCOLN, Neb. (Flatwater Free Press) – Der Yang knew there wasn’t much time.
It was fall 2024, with a possible second term for President Donald Trump on the horizon. During his first term, Trump paused resettlement for months and set a record-low cap on the number of refugees allowed into the country.
Yang and her team at the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA) got to work resettling as many refugees as they could before Trump’s inauguration. Drives to the airport became more frequent. Staff rushed to secure housing for newcomers.
From that October to January, the organization welcomed 303 to Nebraska.
They haven’t resettled anyone since.
The Trump administration’s freeze on refugee resettlement in January 2025 started a domino effect throughout the country. Vetted refugees, days away from entering the U.S., had their flights canceled. Funding to support newly arrived refugees was suspended. Layoffs began at resettlement agencies. Programs closed altogether.
Of four resettlement agencies in the state, only one, Lutheran Family Services, is actively resettling refugees. Newcomers number in the dozens. And this year, all new Nebraska refugees have come from one country: South Africa.
It’s a dramatic change for the Cornhusker state, which in previous years accepted thousands of refugees from dozens of countries. Those same refugees are now facing empty pantries and financial hardship amid increasing restrictions for programs like SNAP and Medicaid. Resettlement agencies are relying more on private funds to help meet those needs while navigating a shifting legal landscape.
*graphic showing NE resettlement trends since 2012*
“It’s almost like pulling the rug from underneath them,” said Yang, CIRA’s director of refugee services. “When we agreed to resettle them, we had promised them safety. They were leaving war-torn countries and really unsafe places … Now, with all the policy changes, they’re going to be without food. They’re going to be without health insurance. There’s even talk about them being without housing.”
The Trump administration has said the freeze is necessary to stem increasing migration to the U.S. In his executive order, Trump wrote that the U.S. doesn’t have the ability to welcome large numbers of refugees into its communities.
But for Nebraska’s refugee communities, the federal changes feel alienating.
“Refugees want to be here,” Yang said. “They have accepted that this is home. So the policy changes and the current political climate that we live in makes them feel unwelcome and unsafe.”
***
Two years ago, Nebraska’s resettlement agencies had a clear focus.
Staff were the first to greet refugees when they stepped off the plane and helped get them settled into apartments. They tried to teach newcomers how to use the U.S. banking system and how to catch a bus. They signed them up for ESL classes and helped them find job opportunities.
Agencies received one-time payments from the federal government for each refugee they took on. Getting newcomers self-sufficient was the priority, said Poe Dee, director of refugee and immigrant services at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
Over the course of 10 years starting in 2013, Nebraska welcomed the most refugees per capita in the nation, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Immigration Research Initiative.
But after Trump’s inauguration, the agencies’ resettlement work came to a screeching halt. Days after the resettlement freeze, the federal government also suspended funding for support services for newly arrived refugees. The agencies had to shoulder the costs themselves or stop offering them.
“Thousands and thousands of people were left under the care of entities that were actually operating on fumes,” said Dekow Sagar, CEO and founder of Omaha-based International Council for Refugees and Immigrants. “I knew (Trump) would probably freeze resettlement … but I thought the refugees that they already brought here, they’d make sure that they got (resources).”
Chris Tonniges, president and CEO of Lutheran Family Services, ran through scenarios with his staff before the freeze hit. They’d seen cuts during Trump’s first term and were braced for similar reductions in his second. While the organization was budgeting to accept 1,600 refugees, Tonniges knew the chances of that being pared back were high. But no one expected a complete shutdown.
In March 2025, LFS laid off 13 employees as a result of the freeze. The organization cut 60 positions, Tonniges said, though they were able to reassign many employees.
The International Council for Refugees and Immigrants in Omaha had to lay off six employees and make several full-time staff members part time, said Samira Sarwary, ICRI’s finance manager.
Sarwary said ICRI lost almost $825,000 as a result of the freeze — about 25% of its total budget.
Erik Omar, executive director of CIRA, said the organization lost roughly $5 million, including funds lost because of the resettlement freeze and subsequent funds lost as a result of closing four programs for newly arrived refugees.
Agencies have relied more on private contracts and philanthropy to maintain refugee support services over the past year. Private funding means they have a greater ability to pivot and change services as needed, Yang said.
“However, funding is limited, and so we can’t make up for a federal program that has been taken away,” Yang said, “but we’re really trying our best.”
***
Sebit Deng smiled and gestured to the small, quiet boy sitting beside him at the Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska conference room table.
“He is not my son,” Deng said.
It was late February, and Deng was looking after the child while his mother, a South Sudanese refugee, went to apply for her driver’s license. She hoped a license would open up new job opportunities, Deng said. After losing SNAP benefits, her current pay stopped being enough to cover her family’s expenses.
“Her children, she doesn’t want them to be stressed,” Deng said. “So that’s why now she is fighting to try to help herself, and we’ll try to help her.”
As a member of Catholic Social Services’ immigration legal services team and a former South Sudanese refugee, Deng knows refugee assistance takes many shapes. Sometimes, it’s child care. Other times, it’s helping someone apply for housing assistance or find a new job. More and more, it’s making sure people have food in their bellies.
It also has become a game of misinformation whack-a-mole as fears and rumors spread through refugee communities.
“You see things on TV, you hear things on the radio,” said Katie Patrick, executive director of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. “You heard from a friend, from a friend of a friend. As much as we can be a reliable source of information, it’s very important, because we don’t want people making choices or reacting to hearsay.”
This has been complicated by constant changes to federal immigration policy. In February, DHS issued a memo authorizing the detention of refugees who haven’t applied for a green card within one year of arriving in the U.S. A federal judge in Massachusetts has since temporarily blocked the policy from being enforced.
In March, CIRA hosted know-your-rights-trainings to help refugees understand what the memo means for them. Among the suggestions: If an eligible refugee hasn’t yet applied for a green card, they should consult with an attorney about starting the process.
On a Thursday afternoon in March, Erika Abrahan stepped into the CSS office to take that next step. The Venezuelan refugee arrived in Nebraska in January 2025 and had been working with CSS’ immigration team to get the green card application process started. Now, she was back to pay CSS an administrative fee for their assistance.
Before the federal cuts, Dee said, CSS could offer green card application help for free.
“Now we have to charge them to make the program run,” Dee said. “It’s hard. You know their situation, you know their income status … you just have to do what is best for the program, for everyone.”
***
The U.S. refugee program has remained dormant since January 2025. But one group — white South Africans — was granted an exemption and prioritized for resettlement by Trump. The president has amplified false claims that white South African farmers are experiencing genocide, and has accused the South African government of subjecting them to racial discrimination.
Since May 2025, more than 3,000 white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, have entered the country as refugees.
As of mid-March, 41 South Africans had been resettled in Nebraska by Lutheran Family Services.
*graphic showing top countries of origin for refugees in NE*
For CIRA and ICRI, the federal government’s decision to prioritize one group for resettlement was a deciding factor whether they would participate in resettlement work.
Yang, the director of refugee services at CIRA, said if resettlement remained open to everyone, CIRA would continue doing the work. For Sagar, who came to the U.S. as a Somali refugee, the decision presented a moral dilemma.
“I don’t think they really meet the criteria of a refugee,” Sagar said. “I think it would be morally wrong for me to say we’re working with people who might be coming here for other reasons.”
Catholic Social Services’ national affiliate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced it would end its 40-year refugee resettlement contract with the federal government last April.
This fiscal year, the Trump administration set another record-low refugee admissions cap of 7,500 — and announced plans to continue prioritizing Afrikaners.
Advocates predict future administrations will work to restore the resettlement program. But with three of four agencies in the state having stopped resettlement, it’s hard to tell how many will be in a position to resume three years from now.
“I think rebuilding the infrastructure is going to take a long time, because everything has been demolished,” said Sagar, the ICRI director. “…Will we be able to actually join that again? I hope so, but I think it’s gonna be quite some time.”
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KEARNEY – Successful and aspiring entrepreneurs were recognized April 21 during the annual Light It Up awards ceremony at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Hosted by UNK’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development, the event celebrates the vision, innovation and hard work of entrepreneurs and advocates who are making a difference in Kearney and throughout greater Nebraska.
The following awards were presented during the ceremony at Discovery Hall:
Student Entrepreneur Award
Fallon Wells, Flourish Floral Company
The winner of UNK’s Big Idea business pitch competition, Fallon Wells graduates next month with a degree in interior and product design and a minor in entrepreneurship. She’s returning to her hometown of Central City, where she’ll own and operate a flower shop.
“What truly sets Fallon apart is her commitment to her community. By choosing to invest in and sustain a local business in her hometown, she is helping preserve an important community staple. Her work ensures continued access to a service that brings people together during meaningful moments,” her nomination stated.
Emerging Entrepreneur Award
Connor Streit, PolyPath Med
Connor Streit, founder of PolyPath Med, earned the Emerging Entrepreneur Award for his efforts to reduce medical waste. His business focuses on repurposing unused sterile plastic from operating rooms, diverting thousands of pounds from landfills.
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award
Cody Lawson, 1to1 Technologies
Cody Lawson started his business as a teenager and has grown it into a multistate technology support and repair company known for its customer-focused approach and community involvement. The business has seven full-time employees and a new facility in Central City.
“Cody is our poster child for the entrepreneurial spirit,” his nomination stated. “He inspires others to take the leap and mentors those who attempt it.”
Entrepreneurship Advocate Award
Caleb Pollard, Valley County Economic Development/Ord Area Chamber of Commerce
Caleb Pollard serves as executive director of Valley County Economic Development, an organization formed through an interlocal agreement between the city of Ord, Valley County, Ord Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Loup Valley Activities. Through coaching and regional partnerships, he has supported business growth across the area, helping generate millions in revenue and expand employment opportunities. An entrepreneur himself, Pollard co-founded Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord.
“Caleb’s commitment to Ord and the Sandhills spans more than 25 years, beginning as a college student, returning after stints in Lincoln and Omaha, and planting deep roots with his family in 2008,” his nomination stated. “He draws an explicit parallel between his personal philosophy and community building: ‘I love to garden … you plant seeds with intention, and with a lot of patience and hard work, you hope that you reap a harvest. … We’re very intentional in taking a much longer view on how to build community.’”
Alumni Entrepreneur Award
Noah Young, The Shiloh Farm
A 2018 UNK graduate, Noah Young has built a large online following while promoting agriculture and homesteading education, reaching audiences worldwide. His Shiloh Farm social media accounts have more than 2 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, making him one of the most-viewed ag influencers.
“Everyone who has ever met him will tell you that his love for agriculture is real and that he really does want everyone to experience it,” his nomination stated. “I had the opportunity to travel with Noah this summer across many different states and was able to see the impact he has on people thousands of miles away.”
Nebraska
Nebraska is becoming the first state to implement a Medicaid work requirement signed by Trump
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska on Friday will become the first state to enforce work, volunteer or education requirements for new Medicaid applicants, eight months before the federally mandated requirements kick in.
Advocates worry that the state is launching so rapidly that key details remain unresolved and some people who are eligible for coverage will lose it.
State officials say they’re prepared, training staff and sending letters, emails and texts to people who could be impacted.
Health policy experts, advocates and other states will be watching closely.
“It can be used as a lesson for other states, both where things go well and where things don’t go well,” said Jennifer Tolbert, deputy director of KFF’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
The law is expected to leave some without insurance
The work requirement is part of a broad tax and policy law that President Donald Trump signed last year. Nebraska Republican Gov. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced in December that the state would implement it eight months before it was required, saying the aim was “making sure we get every able-bodied Nebraskan to be a part of our community.”
The state had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. in February: 3.1%
The federal policy won’t apply to all Medicaid beneficiaries, just those who are enrolled under an expansion that most states chose to make to allow more low-income people to get healthcare coverage.
Under the change, many Medicaid participants ages 19 through 64 will have to show that they work or do community service at least 80 hours a month, or are enrolled in school at least half-time. They’ll also have their eligibility reviewed every six months rather than annually, so they could lose coverage faster if their circumstances change.
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.
An Urban Institute report from March estimated that the changes would mean about 5 million to 10 million people fewer people nationally would be enrolled in Medicaid than would have been otherwise.
Choices states make about how to run their programs are expected to be a major factor in exactly how many people lose coverage.
“The higher the administrative burden, the more likely people are found noncompliant and disenrolled,” said Michael Karpman, who researches health policy at Urban.
Nebraska plans to use data to help determine who qualifies
Not everyone who has coverage will need to submit proof that they’re working.
The state says it will first match enrollees with other data it has to see if participants are working or exempt. The state says it has that information for most of the roughly 70,000 people enrolled in Medicaid through the expansion.
That leaves between 20,000 and 28,000 who would have to provide more information, plus an average of 3,000 to 4,000 new enrollees each month.
At first, they will just need to show that they met the requirements in just one month of the previous 12. The time frame will shift to six months in 2027.
There’s some flexibility. For instance, instead of showing they work 80 hours in a month, someone could instead provide records that demonstrate they earned at least $580, the amount someone earning minimum wage would make in 80 hours.
People who don’t submit requested information within 30 days of being asked could have their applications denied or lose coverage they already have.
The change is causing worry and confusion
Bridgette Annable, who lives in southwest Nebraska, received a letter saying she must meet the work requirements or lose the benefits that pay for her insulin and diabetic supplies.
The 21-year-old mother now has a part-time job, despite being advised against it to protect her mental health. She’s worried about her ability to keep working.
“I am working 30 to 25 hours a week — as much as my employer can provide,” Annable said. “Although I call out of work often due to fibromyalgia pain and bipolar episodes that leave me too tired to leave the house. I have enough energy to take care of my daughter and do some cleaning, but that’s about it.”
Amy Behnke, the CEO of the Health Center Association of Nebraska, said that staff members who help people enroll with Medicaid and their clients have a lot of questions, including some that the state hasn’t yet answered.
Some examples: Apprenticeship programs are supposed to count for work requirements, but does that apply only to those certified by the state’s labor department? There’s an exemption for people who travel to a hospital for care, but there’s not clarity on how far the journey must be.
KFF’s Tolbert noted that the state issued its 295-page list last week of conditions that could qualify someone as medically frail. “We don’t know if it’s a comprehensive list,” she said.
“The speed at which we are choosing to implement work requirements hasn’t left a lot of space for really meaningful communication,” Behnke said.
And Nebraska could have to make changes after the federal government provides guidance that is expected in June.
___
Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced today that it is submitting a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Healthy Choice Waiver to include candy as an ineligible purchase. Once approved, the restriction will take effect November 1, 2026.
“DHHS continues to strengthen our Healthy Choice Waiver by adding candy to the list of items ineligible for purchase with SNAP benefits,” said Shannon Grotrian, Director of the Office of Economic Assistance (OEA). “This step supports healthier SNAP purchasing decisions and reflects the Department’s commitment to improving health outcomes for Nebraskans.”
The change builds on the current Healthy Choice Waiver, which already prohibits the purchase of soda and energy drinks, a policy that took effect January 1, 2026.
Excessive consumption of sugar can contribute to a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and dental decay. Research from the USDA has shown that SNAP participants have a higher prevalence of obesity than both income-eligible and higher-income nonparticipants.
That same study found that SNAP participants, on average, consume more added sugars and fewer fruits and vegetables than non-participants. Another study from the University of Minnesota found that restriction of sugary foods led to an increase in healthier purchases and a decrease in sugary food purchases.
Prior to the implementation date, educational information will be sent to SNAP participants, retailers, and community members outlining the changes. Additional information including the definition of candy, will be shared in the following weeks on the SNAP Healthy Choice Waiver webpage at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Healthy-Choices-Waiver.aspx. This will include frequently asked questions (FAQ), information on healthy alternative purchases, and other community resources.
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