HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. — A New Jersey church that received $18 million in federal aid to resettle migrants is now struggling after its funding was cut off, leaving its programs in crisis. Now they are saying the Trump administration owes them more than a million dollars. In 2018, Governor Murphy stood with church leaders and members to fight against ongoing ICE immigration raids. After that, they began receiving millions of dollars from the federal government to continue placing migrants.
Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale of the Reformed Church of Highland Park said his organization is owed more than $1.3 million for services rendered in January alone. He warned that without immediate support, vital programs assisting refugees could collapse.
“For the past 3.5 years we have experienced that refugees and immigrants are a blessing,” Kaper-Dale said. “Since January 20th everything has collapsed.”
The church had helped place 1,200 migrants in jobs across New Jersey, generating an estimated $182 million in revenue for employer, according to the church.
Kaper-Dale said 85% of the refugees they resettled achieved self-sufficiency before requiring additional state assistance once they were placed.
“I would argue that the new arrivals to our state not only added beauty, creativity and joy to the state of New Jersey, they also brought with them tremendous economic growth. We all remember how the ‘story of the day’, after Covid, was that there was a shortage of workers. We were able (even just over the last 2 years) to see 1200 of the people in our caseload land work in New Jersey’s businesses. We saw the equivalent of 182 million in Revenue Per Employer added to the economy by those workers. 85% of the refugees we resettled were self-sufficient before they needed any help from the Board of Social Services in any county,” said Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale. “Since January 20th everything has collapsed. We are owed hundreds of thousands for services rendered in December. We are owed 1.3 million for services rendered in January (and we have no confidence, at this point, if or when we’ll be paid). Our programs have either been “cease and desisted” or, payments just delayed. To be honest, we (like the rest of the country), just don’t know if we’ll be paid or whether we have months of court ahead of us before we see a dime.”
The reverend said he is now leaning on Murphy to continue to placing migrants and opposing ICE.
“I tried, this past week, to speak with your office (and good, smart people attempted to be helpful) and with State Senators (and they tried to be helpful there too). However, no short-term assistance, or ‘carry-over until Elon releases the money’ funds were found. In the meantime volunteers and the good people of NJ sent incredible donations, to try to fill the gap of broken contracts and massive uncertainty,” he said.
Governor Phil Murphy has ties to the church, having visited in 2018 to stand in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Kaper-Dale is now urging Murphy to intervene again, saying, “If possible, stand with us again, in this new immigrant-related ‘raid’ that Donald Trump is carrying out.”
The church is seeking immediate relief while facing what Kaper-Dale described as “months of court ahead of us before we see a dime.” Volunteers and local donors have attempted to fill the gap, but the uncertainty surrounding federal payments has put the church’s efforts in jeopardy.
The church, once a pillar of New Jersey’s migrant resettlement efforts, now faces an uncertain future without intervention.
