IT’S WORKING: Catholic Charities of Houston-Galvaston Lay-Offs

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has laid off 45 employees, some from the organization’s Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance and others noted only as “staff,” according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The recent layoffs, which employees were notified about on March 28 and April 3, come months after the organization laid off 120 employees dedicated to refugee resettlement services due to President Donald Trump’s suspension of the U.S Refugee Admissions Program. As part of the suspension, Trump froze funding for organizations that work in refugee resettlement services across the country.

The Catholic Charities’ St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance is Houston’s largest provider of low-cost and pro bono legal assistance for immigrants, according to the organization.

In a letter sent to employees, the organization said due to “unexpected and material changes” to its Unaccompanied Children Program, the legal assistance center would be restructured and certain positions would be cut. The “cumulative effect of recent funding disruptions,” the organization said, has also led to cuts of certain non-program positions. The majority of affected employees are from the center’s main building on San Felipe Street, according to the letter.

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