Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Highlight $300,000 in Federal Funding to Support Opportunities for Baltimore’s Refugee, Immigrant Communities

Last week, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md.) joined the leadership of Baltimore nonprofit Global Refuge to highlight the faith-based organization's critical work, as well as a $300,000 investment the Senators secured in Congress to expand their workforce development and career counseling services for refugees and immigrants. This federal funding will help program participants obtain the skills and training needed to secure jobs, achieve rapid self-sufficiency, and contribute to their communities.

"Baltimore has a long history of welcoming refugees and immigrants, and we know they make our communities stronger. That's why we fought to secure this federal investment in Global Refuge's efforts to help refugees build the skills to further strengthen our economy and our great city," said Senator Van Hollen.

"For generations, immigrants and refugees have helped strengthen our communities. I was so proud to join Senator Van Hollen in celebrating $300,000 in federal funding for Global Refuge to help newcomers build careers, find stability, and put down roots here in Maryland," said Senator Alsobrooks.

This investment comes as the Trump Administration attempts to rescind federal funding passed on a bipartisan basis for organizations like Global Refuge that support our communities and uphold foundational American values, including $567 million of unobligated funding under the Refugee and Entrant Assistance account.

"Ask any employer who has hired a refugee, and you'll hear the same thing: they show up, they work hard, and they're in it for the long haul. We're deeply grateful to Senators Van Hollen and Alsobrooks for helping more newcomers bring their talent to Maryland's workforce, where they're caring for our patients, building our homes, keeping our supply chains moving, launching new businesses, and stepping into roles employers have struggled to fill," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge.

The Senators worked to secure these funds in the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill. The bill was included in a larger package that the Senators could not ultimately support due to concerns over insufficient safeguards to protect federal workers against the Trump Administration's attacks and to prevent the Administration from misusing Congressionally approved taxpayer dollars, among other factors.