Church World Service, which helps immigrants find homes and administers disaster relief, has laid off more than half its New York staff after the Trump administration cut funding.
The nonprofit relies on government programs for 85% of its nearly $220 million in annual funding, according to a financial statement. Shortly after taking office last month, President Donald Trump cut aid to groups that help migrants.
Starting Jan. 31, Church World Service began laying off 151 of its 256 staffers due to a “funding loss,” according to a notice filed this week with the New York state Department of Labor. A call to the organization wasn’t returned. Its New York office is in the Upper West Side’s Interchurch Center, a 600,000 square-foot building that houses several ecumenical, educational and philanthropic organizations.
Church World Service was founded in 1946 by 17 Christian denominations that came together “to do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone,” according to its website. Its mission is to help newcomers by serving as “a bridge from their former life in their home country to a new set of cultural, linguistic, and practical skills that will enable them to be successful in New York.”
The Trump administration seized $80.5 million from the city’s bank account after Elon Musk falsely claimed the funds were used to house migrants in luxury hotels. The city has sued to recover the money.
