Catholic charity shuts down operations in US due to Trump's cutbacks to refugees

President Donald Trump's decision to reduce the refugee quota has prompted a Catholic charity to shut down its refugee resettlement ministry in Iowa.

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, which has resettled refugees for 77 years, has stated that it is ending its work to resettle refugees in Eastern Iowa due to the federal government's decision to reduce the number of refugees that can come to the U.S.

"Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque has been resettling refugees from all over the world in Eastern Iowa since 1940, primarily in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. It's a loss for our entire community," said Tracy Morrison, executive director for the charity, this week.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State announced that the quota for people who can legally seek refugee status in the country has been cut by more than half, from 110,00 down to 45,000 annually.

Trump contended that the reduction is needed for national security reasons, as well as the improvement of the vetting process for refugees.

Apart from the reduction in the refugee quota, the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration has also required resettlement sites across America to resettle at least 100 refugees a year in order to stay open, which is a threshold the Dubuque Archdiocese admitted it cannot meet.

"Our faith guides us to believe in the dignity of all persons and the need to protect the most vulnerable, especially refugees and migrants. It is with a heavy heart that we announce the ending of this ministry," Archbishop Michael Jackels said, as reported by KCRG.

Morrison said that the staff enjoyed meeting and getting to know the customs and traditions of the people that had obtained the help of the charity.

She stated that "the one tradition I would say that crosses all nationalities is love and kindness. It doesn't matter where you're from, everybody shares that."

The Catholic group reaffirmed its commitment to support refugees and immigrants through its Immigration Legal Services ministry available in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Hampton, Marshalltown, New Hampton, Postville and Waterloo.

Other organizations have also been forced to limit their operations following the reduction of the refugee quota.

In February, World Relief announced that it had to shut down five offices and lay off more than 140 staff members as a "direct result" of Trump's order to reduce the number of refugees by more than half.

The Episcopal Church's Migration Ministries also announced in April that it is closing down six offices and will be reducing the number of its affiliates from 31 to 25 due to the reduction.