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Refugee resettlement funding cuts could strain Fort Worth services, commenter warns
Summary
A social worker told the council that a recent federal cut to refugee resettlement funding will increase local eviction and child-welfare risks and add strain to schools, health care and housing resources.
Maria Garcia, a social worker who has worked with Fort Worth’s refugee population, told the Feb. 18 public comment meeting that a recent federal decision to cut refugee resettlement funding will have local consequences.
"Eviction notices are coming," Garcia said, adding that "March 3 is looming," and warning that families invited to the U.S. with promised short-term support would face housing and food shortfalls once federal assistance ended. She explained refugees receive documentation and three months of housing assistance and a modest payment on arrival, but said recent arrivals in Fort Worth were being cut off from promised funds.
Garcia said the federal change will shift costs and service demands to local systems: schools, health care facilities and housing programs. She urged the city to recognize the strain and consider responses, and she noted Fort Worth Police Department officers sometimes attend cultural orientations for newly arrived families to explain local laws.
Garcia framed her remarks as a warning and request for coordination rather than a demand for specific municipal action; the transcript records no council motion or staff response on the topic during the meeting.
