Understanding the funding behind immigration and refugee policy

What is appropriations?

Appropriations is the yearly process where Congress decides how much money each federal agency and program receives. Unlike authorizing laws—which create or define programs—appropriations determine whether those programs have the resources to operate at all. Every year, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills, covering everything from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of State.

Appropriations is the difference between a program existing on paper and a program being able to serve people.

How does the appropriations process work?

President’s Budget Request (PBR)

Each spring, the Administration sends Congress a proposed budget. It’s a starting point — not binding — but signals priorities.

House and Senate Appropriations Committees

Each chamber divides work into 12 subcommittees. For refugee and immigration priorities, the most important are:

• Labor–HHS–Education (LHHS)- funds ORR, including Refugee Support Services and the Unaccompanied Children program.

• Homeland Security- funds ICE, CBP, USCIS, and oversight offices.
• State and Foreign Operations- funds overseas humanitarian assistance and refugee response, as well as humanitarian programs like the Lautenberg Amendment.

Subcommittee Markups

Members of each SubCommittee debate, amend, and vote on draft bills. This is where harmful cuts, or restrictive policy riders often appear — and where grassroots pressure matters most.

Full Committee Markups

Bills move to the full Appropriations Committee for another round of amendments and votes.

Floor Votes

Each chamber votes on its bills. Differences between House and Senate versions are resolved in conference negotiations.

Final Passage & President’s Signature

Once both chambers agree, the bills go to the President to be signed into law.

Why does funding matter? What causes a federal government shutdown?

For any federal funding bill to become law, both the House and Senate must pass it. If one chamber fails to act—or if neither does—the government risks a shutdown.

The federal fiscal year ends September 30. If Congress misses the deadline and hasn’t passed all 12 annual appropriations bills by then, two outcomes are possible:

• Full shutdown: None of the bills pass.

• Partial shutdown: Some bills pass, others don’t. Agencies funded by enacted bills stay open; others close, except for emergency and essential operations.

To buy more time, Congress often passes a Continuing Resolution (CR)—a short‑term measure that keeps the government open at last year’s funding levels. CRs typically last from a few days to a couple of months.

While CRs prevent immediate disruption, they create uncertainty for federal agencies and their implementing partners that rely on stable, predictable funding to plan programs and deliver services effectively.

What is the Labor-HHS bill? What programs in the budget support refugees and immigrants?

The Labor–Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bill decides the budget for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) — the federal agency responsible for helping refugees, asylum seekers, humanitarian parolees, and unaccompanied children rebuild their lives in the United States.

Funding levels determine whether communities can meet humanitarian obligations — not just legally, but safely, humanely, and sustainably.

Transitional & Medical Services (TAMS)

TAMS is the safety net that meets people’s most basic needs in their first months here.

• Temporary assistance — short‑term help so families can pay for basics like food, rent, and household needs while they get on their feet.

• Medical assistance — health coverage for the first months, including doctor visits and prescriptions.

 Refugee Support Services (RSS) 

RSS is the backbone of local resettlement work and determines whether resettlement agencies like Global Refgue can provide:

• Housing and rent support

• Employment and job‑readiness services

• English classes

• Case management

• Support for vulnerable groups (seniors, single parents, survivors of torture)

Survivors of Torture, Survivors of Trafficking, etc.

Specialized care for people who have experienced trauma or need additional support. Cuts mean fewer clinicians, fewer services, and longer waitlists.

Unaccompanied Children (UC) Program

Children who arrive to the U.S. fleeing crisis by themselves are identified by DHS and referred to the care of ORR. This program under HHS is distinct from the detention of children and families in DHS facilities. ORR’s UC program is child‑welfare‑based, focused on safety and reunification — not enforcement.

LHHS appropriations fund the entire unaccompanied children system including:

• Safe, licensed shelters

• Case management

• Family reunification

• Post‑release services

When Congress underfunds UC or adds harmful restrictions, children stay in shelters longer, reunifications slow, and community‑based care becomes harder to sustain.

Why should the American public and Congress care about funding for under the LHHS appropriations bill for refugees and other humanitarian entrants to the United States?

Refugees and other lawfully admitted humanitarian entrants to the United States undergo rigorous security screenings, contribute billions in taxes, and strengthen local economies. They support local businesses, fill critical labor shortages, revitalize communities facing population decline, and reinforce America’s global leadership. Refugees and other immigrants volunteer in schools, faith communities, and neighborhood organizations. These outcomes reflect both fiscal responsibility and the foundational American and faith-rooted belief that welcoming the vulnerable strengthens the nation. Their resilience is a source of shared prosperity and pride for America.

Investments in the support of refugees and other humanitarian entrants:

• Uphold America’s moral and values-driven leadership
• Strengthen the workforce and support local economies
• Reduce long‑term public expenditures
• Ensure states and localities are not left with unfunded mandates
• Support faith communities and volunteers who welcome newcomers
• Provide protection for the most vulnerable, including safe, licensed care for unaccompanied children, and Contribute to our national security and common defense.

What is the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (SFOPs)?

The SFOPs appropriations bill is where the government funds oversees international humanitarian assistance and refugee response, and where it authorizes programs like the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and the Lautenberg amendment for protecting religiously persecuted refugees. These accounts and programs are not domestic facing and often forgotten about in immigration and refugee policy discussions. But they are critical tools and important connection points between the U.S.’s domestic and foreign policy refugee and immigration agendas.

The programs and accounts under SFOPs are strategic foreign-policy instruments that stabilize fragile regions, reduce irregular migration pressures, and support partners managing displacement. Level funding and clear guardrails ensure these tools function as Congress intended and in line with stated U.S. policy priorities, including by:

• Upholding Long-Standing, Bipartisan Humanitarian Pathways: The Lautenberg Amendment and USRAP exceptions have been supported across administrations and parties for decades. They protect persecuted religious minorities and ensure vetted refugees already approved for resettlement are not stranded due to broad travel restrictions. This is basic congressional oversight of long-standing programs.
• Reducing Downstream Costs and Preventing Larger Crises: Underfunding humanitarian accounts or blocking refugee pathways increases strain on frontline states, drives instability, and ultimately requires higher U.S. assistance later. Maintaining functional pathways and level funding is a cost-avoidance strategy that protects U.S. foreign-policy bandwidth.
• Strengthening U.S. Credibility with Allies and Partners: When the U.S. underfunds humanitarian accounts or fails to process congressionally authorized pathways (Afghan SIVs, Lautenberg), partner governments and NGOs lose confidence in U.S. commitments. This undermines cooperation across priorities. SFOPS language is one of Congress’s most effective mechanisms to protect U.S. reliability.
• Ensuring Humanitarian Funds Are Used for Their Statutory Purpose: U.S. humanitarian funds are appropriated to save lives and stabilize crises, not to facilitate deportations or returns. Clear prohibitions prevent diversion, uphold congressional intent, and protect the United States from reputational and legal risk.