Key Takeaways
• Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle received a $15,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation for Immigration and Legal Services.
• The grant helps offset federal funding cuts after the 2025 refugee resettlement program suspension caused major staff layoffs.
• This funding enables continued pro bono legal support for vulnerable immigrants in the rural Texas Panhandle region.
Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle has been awarded $15,000 by the Texas Bar Foundation to support their Immigration and Legal Services. This news brings some relief to immigrants living in the Texas Panhandle, especially during a time when many similar organizations are facing serious financial pressure. The new grant will allow Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle to continue helping people with important legal matters related to immigration, even after recent struggles in their other programs.
A Look at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle
Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle first opened its doors back in 1932. Ever since, the group has helped people in the Amarillo area who are going through hard times. Their work serves both individuals and families facing serious problems—sometimes due to poverty, displacement, or difficulties getting the services they need. The organization is widely trusted in the region and has helped thousands of people find safety, shelter, food, and legal support over the decades.
One core area of their work involves Immigration and Legal Services. This program supports immigrants who often cannot afford a lawyer and need help filing paperwork, understanding their rights, or working through the complex rules that affect those trying to stay or work legally in the United States 🇺🇸. Many immigrants in the Texas Panhandle have limited access to these kinds of important legal tools, so this work is essential to protect families and help people build better lives.
Shifting Priorities After Funding Challenges
Earlier this year, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle faced a serious setback. In February 2025, the group had to announce that they would be stopping their Refugee Resettlement Program. This decision was not made lightly—the program had been running since the mid-1970s, helping new arrivals who had permission from the U.S. State Department to come to the United States 🇺🇸. This program gave people a chance to start new lives after leaving dangerous situations in other countries.
Executive Director Jeff Gulde explained that this was a “difficult decision” forced by a sudden loss of funding. The change was caused by a directive from President Trump’s administration in early 2025, which paused all foreign aid for a special 90-day review period. As a result, Catholic Charities programs across the country, including those helping refugees and migrants, lost important federal financial support. This had immediate effects—not just on the people who rely on these services, but also on employees working to deliver them.
Due to this funding freeze, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle had to lay off 26 staff members who worked closely with refugees. “An examination of circumstances beyond its control precipitated the difficult decision,” said Gulde. The impact was not only local: Catholic Charities groups across the country faced similar problems. For instance, in Jacksonville, 26 workers lost their jobs after the group did not receive more than $600,000 in federal payments. In Galveston-Houston, 120 people lost jobs, while Dallas saw 63 staff cut.
The results were sudden and painful. Many people in the Texas Panhandle and beyond had to look elsewhere for help with housing, food, and legal problems. The consequences were especially harsh for newer arrivals and families still settling in.
Continued Commitment to Community Services
Despite all these setbacks, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle stressed that its other aid programs would keep running as usual. Important services for the region, such as the InterFaith Hunger Project and Joseph’s Project (which helps with pregnancy resources), have not been stopped. Most importantly for many immigrants, the Immigration and Legal Services department is continuing its work.
That’s where the Texas Bar Foundation’s new $15,000 grant comes in. This financial boost is meant specifically to support Immigration and Legal Services at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle. The money will allow the group to keep offering free legal services (known as pro bono services) to people in need. Without this funding, many immigrants in this rural corner of Texas would have nowhere to turn for help with complicated paperwork, defense from deportation, or guidance on becoming citizens.
Why Immigration and Legal Services Are So Important
Immigration law in the United States 🇺🇸 can be hard to understand, even for those who speak English well. It involves many forms, steps, and if even a small mistake is made, people can lose their place in line or face removal from the country. This is why having a trusted legal partner is so important.
At Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle, attorneys and legal workers help people with common tasks like:
- Filling out applications for legal residency (green card)
- Applying for work permits
- Helping with citizenship tests and forms
- Preparing defenses against deportation
- Guiding victims of trafficking or abuse through special visa processes
Many of the people who need help most can’t pay for private lawyers. With the Texas Bar Foundation’s grant, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle can continue providing these life-changing services for free.
The Impact of Financial Support from the Texas Bar Foundation
The Texas Bar Foundation, established by Texas lawyers, awards grants to groups working to improve justice across the state. By choosing to fund Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle’s Immigration and Legal Services program, the foundation is helping thousands of families who are struggling to find stable lives.
This grant comes during a period when Catholic Charities groups across the United States 🇺🇸 are losing federal funds. For instance, as reported by VisaVerge.com, the funding freeze is harming many Catholic Charities agencies and putting programs at risk nationwide. Local groups are being forced to ask for community donations and private support just to keep going.
The $15,000 award is one example of how state and charitable funding can step in where federal support has been paused. While not a complete replacement for lost federal money, it helps the group keep its doors open to the region’s most vulnerable immigrants.
Wider Trends and Ongoing Challenges
The story of Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle is not unique. Many Catholic Charities organizations are fighting to keep providing help after the new White House directive on federal funding. In different parts of the country, similar groups have had to lay off staff, cut programs, or put out urgent requests for donations. For example, in Kansas, Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas called on the public for help to cover program costs that could no longer be paid by the federal government.
These shifts have changed the way many community organizations operate. While the Refugee Resettlement Program pause was a major loss, keeping Immigration and Legal Services running remains essential. Without this kind of help, many immigrants would be left without legal pathways to remain with their families, keep their jobs, or move toward becoming U.S. citizens.
The Importance of Pro Bono Legal Help in Rural Areas
In big cities, there are often many lawyers and immigration centers. But in the Texas Panhandle—a large, mostly rural region—services are much harder to find. Immigrants here may have to travel long distances just to get legal advice or submit documents. This is why local organizations like Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle are so important. They know the local community and can reach people who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
With added support from the Texas Bar Foundation, Catholic Charities can keep running free legal clinics, hold community events, and help more people fill out forms correctly. It’s about making sure no one is left behind, no matter how far they live from a big city.
What This Means for Immigrants and Their Families
For many immigrant families in Texas, this support means the difference between staying in their homes and facing forced removal. It offers hope for those who have fled violence or poverty and simply want a fair chance to work and raise their children in safety.
The grant also means that trusted staff—many of whom are bilingual or even former clients—can keep working at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle. This creates a comforting, supportive atmosphere for people facing legal problems. When a person walks through the door, they know someone will listen, explain their rights in simple words, and guide them step by step.
A Ripple Effect Throughout the Community
When immigrants gain legal status or keep their families together, the whole region benefits. Kids who might have had to leave school can stay, parents can keep their jobs, and fear in the community goes down. Local businesses who rely on immigrant labor also gain from more stability.
The grant from the Texas Bar Foundation is a small piece of the bigger puzzle, but it allows Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle to keep making a real difference. Even with major programs on hold, their commitment to vulnerable people remains firm.
Looking Ahead: The Road Forward
There is still uncertainty for Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle and others like it around the country. The pause in federal funding remains a major threat, and nobody knows yet if or when those funds will return. Organizations are working hard to find other ways to pay for their services. They are asking local governments, churches, and private donors to step up in the meantime.
The story highlights how quickly policy changes at the federal level can impact people on the ground. While one order from Washington can stop a funding stream, it’s local action that helps fill the gaps. Grants like this one from the Texas Bar Foundation are more important than ever.
For readers looking to learn more about how Immigration and Legal Services work, or about similar programs in Texas, visit the official Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle website. If you or someone you know needs help, there are resources for legal services listed there, along with ways to support ongoing efforts.
Bringing People Together in a Time of Challenge
Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle’s story is about standing by your neighbors, even when things get hard. By keeping their Immigration and Legal Services open, they hold true to their mission of helping those most in need.
As the group uses its new funds to help more people, it sets an example for how local action and commitment can make a real difference—especially in times when broader support is uncertain. Through its ongoing service, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle gives hope to immigrants and reminds the wider community that every person deserves fairness and a helping hand.
To explore more about Immigration and Legal Services or find answers to common immigration questions, you can also look up the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official website, which provides clear guidance and official forms for a wide range of legal matters.
In summary, even as challenges persist, the work of Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle shows that community support and targeted funding—like the grant from the Texas Bar Foundation—can help keep the doors open for those who need it most. This is a message of hope, compassion, and local leadership that matters now more than ever.
Learn Today
Pro bono services → Free legal representation provided to people who cannot afford private lawyers, crucial for low-income immigrants and families.
Refugee Resettlement Program → A longstanding initiative assisting refugees, who have U.S. State Department permission, to safely restart lives in the U.S.
Federal funding freeze → Temporary stop in government financial support, such as the 2025 directive pausing foreign aid, impacting non-profit operations.
Texas Bar Foundation → A foundation established by Texas attorneys that awards grants to support access to justice and legal aid initiatives.
Deportation defense → Legal assistance to help immigrants contest or avoid removal from the U.S. due to changing immigration status or paperwork errors.
This Article in a Nutshell
A $15,000 Texas Bar Foundation grant will help Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle continue providing Immigration and Legal Services. After federal cuts halted their refugee program, this funding ensures vulnerable immigrants in the rural region still access free legal support, vital for families facing paperwork, deportation, or citizenship issues. Local action matters.
— By VisaVerge.com
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