On September 26, 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order on Enhancing State and Local Involvement  in Refugee Resettlement (EO 13888), which requires that states and local governments provide written consent authorizing the initial resettlement of refugees into their respective communities. The EO deferred to the Departments of State (DOS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a process for obtaining consent for initial resettlement.

DOS’ Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has operationalized the requirement to obtain state and local government consent through their Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Reception and Placement (R&P) program, which is targeted to national resettlement agencies.

Questions about the EO and the requirements for consent of initial resettlement should be directed to the DOS/PRM press office at PRM-Press-DL@state.gov.

Consent letters from state and local officials may be submitted to PRM on a rolling basis. Letters should be submitted electronically in PDF format to RefResettlement-PRM@state.gov. Consistent with the EO, such consent letters will be published on the DOS website.

ORR Resettlement Services and Populations –

From the date of arrival, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF), provides time-limited cash and medical assistance to refugees and all other eligible populations. Through its cross-sector national network of service providers, ORR also offers case management, English language training, job readiness, employment, and other specialized support services to facilitate refugee self-sufficiency and integration.

Currently, ORR provides cash and medical assistance for up to eight months, and social services for up to 60 months, assisting a total eligible population of almost 500,000 individuals across the country.

Eligible populations include refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, certain Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, victims of human trafficking, and Amerasians whose date of arrival, or eligibility, is within the previous five years.

In the coming year, ORR is projecting to assist the following new arrivals: 18,000 refugees as indicated in the FY 2020 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions , as well as 45,000 asylees, 16,000 Cuban and Haitian entrants, 10,000 SIVs, and approximately 1,000 victims of trafficking.