After Johnson’s Urging, Trump Administration Releases Funding to Help Refugees
WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32) released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s release of $47 million to help refugees in Texas adjust to life in the United States. This funding is also used to help refugees access short-term resources, including job training, English lessons, financial stability, and more.
On March 13, 2025, Johnson, along with Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35), wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families Andrew Gradison demanding the Office of Refugee Settlement release these frozen funds to the Texas Office of Refugees.
"This funding should have never been frozen in the first place,” said Johnson. “The Trump Administration’s decision to withhold these critical resources created unnecessary chaos, putting nonprofits, workers, and countless refugees at risk. I’m relieved these funds have finally been released after highlighting this important issue, but let’s be clear—playing politics with people’s lives is unacceptable. We must ensure stability for the organizations doing this vital work and never allow illegal funding freezes to jeopardize basic human needs.”
If this funding remained frozen, it could have impacted 29 nonprofits across Texas, leading to additional furloughs and layoffs due to instability from the administration. Without this funding, hundreds of thousands of refugees across the state would have been permanently left without crucial medical services, basic shelter, and legal support.
Congresswoman Julie Johnson represents Texas’ 32nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the Homeland Security Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her district includes parts of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties.
###