Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
A Burlington nonprofit serving Afghan immigrants in Vermont is planning how to preserve services after Oct. 1, when it loses 80% of its funding.
The Vermont Afghan Alliance is asking private donors and foundations to make up for losing a federal grant of about $250,000, a large portion of the nonprofit’s funding. The group also is working closely with other local organizations to provide services to the community.
The loss is happening amid a series of crackdowns under the Trump Administration that make it hard for Afghans to settle in the U.S. In 2025, Trump set the lowest-ever cap of refugee admissions from Afghanistan in the U.S.
But Trump’s policies are unrelated to the funding loss. The Afghan alliance is losing a grant allocated in 2023 under the Biden Administration that was never expected to be renewed, Executive Director Ellen Yount said.
“There’s never been a more urgent time to have a nonprofit serving immigrants,” she said.
Yount says the nonprofit will keep operating but will have to cut several programs. The alliance will no longer be able to provide direct housing assistance that helps Afghans in Vermont pay for rent and utilities, Yount said. It also will cut back on training programs that help Afghans learn about the U.S. healthcare system, as well as their employee and legal rights.
Yount said she doesn’t anticipate making any layoffs in 2027. According to the nonprofit’s website, the alliance staffs a six-person team.
Despite the cuts, program leaders plan to continue helping Afghan Vermonters find employment and safe housing, as well as learn how to drive. The group also plans to continue as much cultural programming as possible, including its Eid celebration and hosting Afghan artists and musicians, Yount said.
The Department of Homeland Security introduced Operation Allies Welcome following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Approximately 200,000 Afghans fled to the U.S., including 650 who settled in Vermont, Yount said.
The Vermont Afghan Alliance formed in 2022 to help Afghan refugees acclimate to life in the Green Mountain State. A large portion of the organization’s funding came from state grants and the 2023 allocation from the Biden Administration.
According to its annual report, the group has succeeded in several areas:
- 97% of Afghans who completed the driving program passed the road test
- 99% have gotten long term jobs with livable wages
- 100% are sending money home to their families in Afghanistan
“They were there to support us every step of the way,” said Mirwais Tokhi, an Afghan Vermonter quoted in the group’s annual report. “They also introduced us to other Afghan families, giving us a sense of community, belonging and reassurance during a time of great change.”
But more recently, changes in federal policy are threatening that sense of assurance. In June 2025, the Trump Administration created travel bans that bar Afghans from reaching the U.S. as tourists. The administration has also greatly reduced the number of refugees legally allowed to resettle in the U.S.
These policies exacerbate the issue of family separation for Afghans in Vermont, Yount said.
“Some are here with their families, but most are not,” she said. “Many of the people who worked for the United States are left behind.
One of the biggest stressors for Afghan’s in Vermont is separation from their families, said Roohullah Aman, a Vermont Afghan Alliance program officer who is originally from Kabul.
“Family separation is a big issue for mental health,” he said.
Rather than providing mental health services directly, the organization connects Afghans to resources at the Howard Center, the county’s designated mental health agency. The organization also connects Afghans to outside organizations for support with English language learning. These programs will continue despite funding cuts.
These programs don’t just benefit immigrants, Aman said. They benefit the entire state by providing services and contributing to the economy.
Afghan Vermonters “are working really hard for the economy of this state,” Aman said. “They are paying taxes, and they don’t rely on the government for benefits.”
Aman says many of the Afghan immigrants in Vermont were previously soldiers working for the U.S. Army. Some came with no education and now work jobs such as ride share drivers, while others have advanced degrees and work in the medical field.
“If we have any changes in the program, it will affect the community,” Aman said. “They are working really hard for their families.”
Aman says the Vermont Afghan Alliance and the larger community will have to work together to support each other.
“This is our community now, and we can’t go back,” Aman said.