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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Family and friends of former U.S. Rep. Mia Love are set to gather Monday in Salt Lake City to honor her life and legacy after she died of brain cancer in March at age 49.

Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, was the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress.

The former lawmaker from Utah had undergone treatment for an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial. She died at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, weeks after her daughter announced she was no longer responding to treatment.

State lawmakers and members of the public visited the Utah Capitol on Sunday evening to pay their respects at Love’s flag-covered coffin behind ropes in the building’s rotunda.

The public is invited to attend her memorial service Monday morning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. It will be followed by an honor guard presentation.

Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, represented Utah on Capitol Hill from 2015 to 2019. She and her husband, Jason, had three children, Alessa, Abigale and Peyton.

She was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and said her doctors estimated she had only 10 to 15 months to live, which she surpassed. With aggressive treatments, Love lived for about three years after receiving her diagnosis.

Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. She was elected as the city’s mayor in 2009, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a mayor in Utah.

In 2012, after giving a rousing speech at the Republican National Convention, she narrowly lost a bid for the U.S. House against the Democratic incumbent. She ran again two years later and defeated a first-time candidate by about 7,500 votes.

Love did not emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who suggested a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could not win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah.

She was briefly considered a rising star in the GOP, but her power within the party fizzled out as President Donald Trump took hold. Love kept her distance from Trump and called him out in 2018 for vulgar comments he made about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations. Later that year, she lost in the midterm elections as Democrats surged.

Energy is the engine that drives our society forward — and energy production is key to Utah’s strong economic growth. But we face a power crunch as demand grows, spurred by energy-intensive data centers, and as the older generation is retired. Our state’s “Operation Gigawatt” sets a goal of doubling Utah’s power production over the next 10 years, ensuring our energy is reliable, affordable, secure and clean.

The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress in 2022, is paving the pro-business environment that can hit that goal. Since its passage, Utah has secured more than $12 billion in total announced clean energy and transportation investments, along with 4,200 new announced jobs. Over 50 new clean energy and transportation facilities are under construction and on track to build American-made products and produce homegrown energy.

The IRA includes long-standing, proven policies — like tax credits, grants and loans for cutting-edge carbon-free energy technologies, clean vehicles and grid infrastructure. These are exactly what Utah needs. But they’re at risk right now as Congress considers their future.

Energy projects don’t happen overnight. They take billions in capital investment and years of construction. Strong, consistent energy policy creates the business certainty needed to make those investments. Whiplash policy creates massive uncertainty, stealing jobs from hard-working Utahns. Investments already underway would be wasted, creating major statewide economic losses.

Recent analysis from non-partisan research firm Energy Innovation finds repealing the IRA’s federal funding and tax credits would cut Utah’s GDP by $1.34 billion in 2030. Family-supporting jobs would be cut as companies scale back and shutter operations — repealing IRA policies would cost Utah nearly 7,300 jobs in 2030. And Utah’s households would be forced to pay an extra $289 million in cumulative energy costs through 2035. These economic results are consistent with analysis from financial services company Moody’s.

Repealing these policies would hurt Utahns beyond just economic costs. We’d pay dearly with our lungs and public health — more air pollution, more planet-warming emissions, and more premature deaths and illnesses.

Energy investments are happening statewide. Every congressional district is benefiting, especially rural regions that need economic revitalization. Beaver County is home to Utah’s largest wind, solar, energy storage and geothermal projects, including Fervo’s geothermal energy plant and Clearway Energy Group’s grid-enhancing energy storage project — two of the most cutting-edge projects of their kind.

Beaver County is proof that smart state and federal policy can unlock opportunities, create jobs and boost rural economies.

Standing up for the existing federal funding and tax credits that are charging up our economy and cleaning our air is a vote for our families and our future. Jeremy Harrell, CEO of conservative clean energy organization ClearPath, recently told Sen. John Curtis in a Congressional hearing that Utah is a “great example of where federal, state, and local entities need to be synced up in the right way to drive new economic opportunities.” That’s what the IRA helps us do.

Utah has an opportunity to maintain our leadership in energy development and innovation. Our congressional delegation can join the 21 House Republicans who have already voiced their support for these pro-energy policies, standing with the businesses creating jobs in their districts and supporting the deployment of innovative energy technologies.

Defending these policies will help Utah continue to diversify our economy and attract long-term investments, signaling to the next generation of technology innovators and job creators that Utah remains open for business.

Arguably the most impressive streak in all of Utah sports — professional, collegiate or prep — remains intact.

For the 49th time in 50 years, Utah gymnastics is headed to the national championships. The Red Rocks remain the only program in the NCAA to qualify for every nationals every year they’ve been held.

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No. 4 Utah defeated No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Minnesota and Denver Saturday night in the Huntsman Center to keep its streak alive, with the Red Rocks and Bruins both advancing to the national championships.

Utah finished with a 197.825, two tenths of a point ahead of UCLA (197.625), with both programs fighting off a concerted upset bid by Denver (197.350).

The continued history making wasn’t lost on the Red Rocks. Far from it in fact.

“It’s a really big deal,” head coach Carly Dockendorf said. “I think some teams get to come to regionals and they don’t have anything to lose. This is it, you just go for it. And it’s a very freeing space to compete in. For us, there is something to lose. We don’t want to lose that tradition of excellence, we don’t want to be the team that doesn’t make it (to nationals) and ends the streak.

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“So there is always something riding extra for this program. It is definitely a privilege, but it definitely adds a little extra pressure. Talk to any of the alumni and ask what their least favorite meet of the year is — it would be this one right her. It feels so good (to continue the streak), but we definitely recognize that we’re here because of the people that have come before us and the tradition of excellence that they brought.”

All it took this year to keep the streak intact was one of the most significant point swings in a single rotation you’ll ever see. And one of the more wild meets in general.

Entering the competition, the Red Rocks were the favorite to win and advance. But in a twist, Utah was in third place by a decent margin (the Red Rocks trailed Denver by more than two tenths of a point and trailed UCLA by a tenth of a point) after the first two rotations.

Mistake-marred uneven bars and balance beam rotations by Utah were to blame, as were a pair of incredible rotations by Denver on beam and floor exercise. At that time, midway through the competition, the streak appeared to be in serious danger. Utah had little to no momentum while Denver had seemingly all the momentum. And UCLA was doing enough to stay ahead of the Red Rocks.

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A record-tying floor rotation, which matched the best the Red Rocks have ever done in the postseason in program history, changed everything, though.

Behind a run of 9.9-plus scores from Avery Neff, Jaylene Gilstrap, Makenna Smith and Grace McCallum, Utah recorded a 49.625 on floor. That, combined with a rough vault rotation by Denver (the Pioneers scored a 48.900), led to a point swing of more than seven tenths. By the end of the rotation, Utah led all comers by five tenths of a point.

Over a 20-30 minute span, the Red Rocks’ fortunes swung dramatically, from trending toward ignominious history to the continued legendary kind instead. And after a solid vault rotation, capped off by an event-winning effort by freshman Zoe Johnson, Utah was through with the streak intact.

“Regionals is always an exciting event and unpredictable,” Dockendorf said. “The best teams are able to adapt and adjust and move forward. This group came in tonight with the goal and vision of what we’re going to do and at no point did we ever lose that vision and that goal. We just fought all the way to the end.”

Defining moment

There were no shortage of memorable moments in the meet.

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McCallum earned yet another perfect 10 on bars, the sixth of her career on that event. That routine all but saved Utah’s bars rotation, which included a fall by Neff and mistake-filled routines from the majority of the remaining Red Rocks.

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Currently, the Utah Jazz (16-62) have seven players on the injury report, including Walker Kessler, for their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks (36-41) at State Farm Arena on Sunday, April 6 at 6 p.m. ET. The Hawks have five players on the injury report.

On Saturday, in their last game, the Hawks lost to the Knicks 121-105. With 16 points, Trae Young was their high scorer. In their most recent game, the Jazz lost to the Pacers on Friday, 140-112. Their high scorer was Collin Sexton with 27 points.

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Today’s Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

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Hawks vs. Jazz Game Info

• Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
• Time: 6 p.m. ET
• How to watch on TV: FDSSE and KJZZ
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Venue: State Farm Arena
• Live stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)

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Over the last 10 games, Utah has struggled mightily on the power play, converting on just 8.0% of its opportunities during that stretch, second worst in the league.

So when Utah captain Clayton Keller scored just seven seconds into the team’s first power play of the night, it was clear the offense was clicking early and was going to be a much different team on the power play.

While the battle for the puck ensued along the boards, Keller patiently waited, never moving from the spot where he lined up for the faceoff.

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When Utah’s Nick Schmaltz corralled the puck after teammate Dylan Guenther jarred it loose behind the net, Keller’s patience was rewarded. He took a pass from Barrett Hayton with no Winnipeg players anywhere near him.

Skating into open ice, Keller buried just Utah’s second power play goal in its last 10 games

“Maybe the power play had been struggling a little bit but I think that’s how you get better,” said Keller. “When you struggle, you learn from it, you watch the video, you break it down a little bit more, and you simplify. We just had an attack mindset tonight. We finished when we had the opportunities and we worked away from the puck. That’s a key for us.”

Considering Utah had been converting at a 23.4% clip, 13th-best in the league, before its recent 10-game slide, Keller helping the team break through early on the power play gave Utah an early burst of momentum.

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Not only did Keller’s goal spark the team, but it also marked his 500th career point.

“It’s cool. I honestly had no idea coming into the game, so I was a bit surprised,” said Keller. “Lots of hard work and sacrifice. So many people in my life sacrificed for me to get to this level so I’m just super thankful for everything that they’ve done for me, my teammates, and my coaches. There are so many people that have helped me get to where I am. I still feel like I have a lot more to give, and I’m just getting started.”

It wasn’t just Keller who reached an important milestone in his career.

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Utah’s Barrett Hayton also matched his career highs in goals, assists, and points after assisting on Keller’s goal and later adding another power play tally for Utah.

The goal came in typical Hayton fashion: right in front of the blue paint, close to the net.

With Hayton’s tally, Utah finished the night with a 66.6% success rate on the power play, converting on 2-of-3 opportunities, a far cry from its 8.0% power play percentage over the previous 10-game stretch.

And to make it all the sweeter, that power play success came against the league-best Winnipeg Jets and arguably the best goalie in the league, Connor Hellebuyck.

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“I like the fact that we’re not scared. We’re taking it the right way: ‘OK, let’s get at it,’” said coach André Tourigny. “We want that and we believe in ourselves… We beat Winnipeg twice this year; how we played against Dallas, how we played against L.A., how we played against Colorado. All those games were hard-fought games. I think that showed the character of our team and the leadership of our team. That’s why we love our team.”

Along with Keller and Hayton, Utah also got goals from Kevin Stenlund, who capitalized on a wide-open lane during a Winnipeg line change, and Nick Bjugstad, who sealed the win with an empty-netter.

“It shows how good of a team we are when we play the right way, play our way,” said Stenlund. “It was a good game.”

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While Utah’s offense consistently generated quality scoring chances, with plenty of dekes to give the team longer offensive possessions, a more aggressive Jets team eventually would score with a Mark Scheifele power play goal to cut the lead to 3–1.

Winnipeg’s offensive push resulted in more shots on goal than Utah by the end of the game, and the Scheifele goal, but Utah’s defense held strong and wouldn’t allow any more goals.

Utah consistently forced turnovers, relied on Karel Vejmelka’s 32-save performance, and came up with crucial shot blocks and steals during Winnipeg’s man advantages, stopping what could have easily been goals for the Jets.

Plus, Utah continued to play like the top-10 penalty kill team it is, allowing just one goal on four Winnipeg power plays.

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The win over Winnipeg keeps Utah in the playoff race, now just seven points behind a struggling Minnesota Wild team

“They don’t want to hear anything. They just want to play, and play good,” said Tourigny. “They are locked in. They’re straight on in what we have to do and play and win games. That’s it. They’re the easiest team to coach in the league right now. They’re tuned in, they’re locked in. We just need to lead a plan and they’re tuned in. They’re great.”

With only five games left in the regular season, Utah will need to win out and hope for a continued collapse from Minnesota if it wants a trip to the postseason.

Utah’s next game will be against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, April 8.

Utah HC’s Playoff Hopes Take Another Tough Blow In Latest 4-2 Loss to Kings A lot changed for Utah HC in 44 seconds. 

The Winnipeg Jets may be the best team in hockey at the moment, but the Utah Hockey Club doesn’t care. They pulled off the upset on Saturday night with a 4-1 win on home ice.

Utah played a near-perfect game. The struggling power play struck twice, the captain scored his 500th point, Kevin Stenlund tallied two points against his former team, Barrett Hayton matched his career high in goals and Karel Vejmelka, yet again, played a solid game.

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“We played against a really good team and it was a hell of a game,” said head coach André Tourigny. I’m really proud of the guys.”

Utah’s playoff hopes are still alive, though slim. Their fate rests partially on the success or failure of their competitors, but they’re doing all they can to stay in it.

“They’re the easiest team to coach in the league right now,” Tourigny said. “They’re tuned in. They’re locked in.”

Utah Hockey for dummies

When the season began, there were a lot of fans who identified as “hockey dummies.” But as the year has progressed, I’ve been delighted to see hockey intelligence rise in this state.

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That intelligence was on full display at the Delta Center on Saturday.

See, in the early part of the season, the officials took way more booing than they deserved — clear penalties called against Utah, clean hits on UHC players, offside and icing calls — anything that didn’t favor the home team. On Saturday, every fan reaction was on point.

For example, with about 14:25 left in the third period against the Jets, the referees missed what I would call a clear holding penalty on Michael Kesselring. I’ve often felt like the only person that noticed missed calls, but this time there was a 16,000-person choir booing in agreement with me.

It was at that point that I realized it had been weeks — maybe months — since I last heard an unjust boo. And it’s still as loud as ever inside the arena.

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When asked about the fans’ engagement after the game, Tourigny responded with a question:

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” we responded.

“Imagine us. We’re jacked. That’s great.”

Utah Hockey for casual fans

As mentioned, Clayton Keller’s pair of points on Saturday elevated him to 500 career points.

“He’s getting better every day,” Tourigny said of the captain. “The way he showed up today and the way he fought against a heavy team like Winnipeg, it doesn’t bother him at all.”

But it’s not just on the ice that Keller has improved.

“Where I’m most proud of him is as a human being,” Tourigny said. “The way he’s matured. The teammate he’s become. He’s always been a good teammate, but now he’s captain. He’s great. The way he can take the good and the bad and make the best out of it, learn from his mistakes.”

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Keller said that, going into the game, he had no idea he was approaching that milestone. “I was a bit surprised,” he said.

He took the opportunity to direct the spotlight upon the people who have helped him along the way.

“So many people in my life sacrificed for me to get to this level, so (I’m) just super thankful for everything that they’ve done for me,” he said. “My teammates, coaches, there’s so many people that have helped me get to where I’m at.”

As neat as it is to hit such a big milestone, Keller also emphasized that he’s not done yet. After all, he’s still only 26 years old.

Utah Hockey for nerds

The month of March was filled with articles critiquing Utah’s power play. At a success rate of 13.2%, it was the sixth-worst in the league, despite being the 10th best before that.

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That seems to be reverting back to the way it was.

They ended Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with a last-minute power play goal. Then, on Saturday, they put two of them past Connor Hellebuyck.

Those two goals were the difference in this game, as it was 3-1 until the Jets pulled their goalie.

“We, maybe, emphasized it more in practice, video, watched clips that made us successful,” Keller said of the changes the group made. “(Assistant coach Blaine Forsythe) does a great job of breaking it down — breaking down teams in zones, their forechecks, things like that.”

The other change to the power play was putting Barrett Hayton back on the first unit. He filled that spot while Logan Cooley was injured, scoring a hat trick in the process. Cooley retook his place a few games after returning, but for whatever reason it just didn’t click.

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If they can keep firing on all cylinders with the man advantage, they might be able to keep that sliver of playoff hope alive a little longer.

What’s next?

Utah’s penultimate home game of the season comes Tuesday as they host the Seattle Kraken.

The Kraken have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but don’t take that as a sign that it will be an easy game for UHC. NHL teams tend not to tank, even when they have no chance of making the playoffs.

Utah has lost both games they’ve played against Seattle this year. They’ll look to make up for it here.

The game begins at 7 p.m. MDT and will be broadcast on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.

History is ready to be had for Utah gymnastics. A familiar kind of history but significant history nonetheless.

After tying with Denver for first place in the Salt Lake City Regional semifinals Thursday night, the Red Rocks will compete in the regional final Saturday night at 5 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.

Finish in the top two in that meet, a four-team affair that includes No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Minnesota and Denver, and Utah will advance to nationals for a record 49th time, keeping alive its streak of going to every nationals in women’s collegiate gymnastics history.

The Red Rocks, despite a somewhat rocky performance Thursday night, should still be considered one of the favorites to finish in the two on Saturday and advance. Ranked No. 4 in the country this season and competing at home, Utah has a lot going for it.

So does the competition, though, especially after Thursday’s semifinals.

Here are some things to know about the three teams that stand between Utah and continued history.

What to know about the UCLA Bruins

• Seed — No. 5
• National qualifying score — 197.680.
• Season-high score — 198.450.

Event NQS rankings and season averages

• Balance beam — No. 4 (49.535).
• Floor exercise — No. 1 (49.615).
• Uneven bars — No. 8 (49.425).
• Vault — No. 7 (49.305).

2025 All-Americans

• Jordan Chiles — First-team on vault, bars and floor; Second-team in the all-around.
• Chae Campbell — Second-team on vault and beam.
• Emma Malabuyo — First-team on beam.
• Brooklyn Moors — First-team on floor.
• Frida Esparza — First-team on bars.
• Ciena Alipio — Second-team on beam.

Scores in Thursday’s semifinals

• Overall score — 197.750.
• Bars — 49.3.
• Beam — 49.5.
• Floor — 49.5.
• Vault — 49.45.

The Bruins are the biggest threat, on paper, to upset the Red Rocks and are one of the favorites to advance to nationals. UCLA had the best score of any team in the semifinals of the Salt Lake City Regional and with a NCAA-leading six All-Americans this season the Bruins have plenty of proven talent.

Quotable

“I’m just really proud of the team and how they showed up. Today, we really wanted to be super-efficient with what we did, just locked in and dialed in and really be able to get through four events consistently, and they did exactly that. I couldn’t be more proud of them. I feel they’ve learned a lot this season, and they’ve really been in it together from start to finish, and that’s showing up in these really big moments for us.” — UCLA head coach Janelle McDonald after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.

What to know about the Minnesota Golden Gophers?

• Seed — No. 12
• National qualifying score — 197.210.
• Season-high score — 197.425.

Event NQS rankings and season averages

• Balance beam — No. 16 (49.305).
• Floor exercise — No. 11 (49.430).
• Uneven bars — No. 16 (49.265).
• Vault — No. 12 (49.275).

2025 All-Americans

• Mya Hooten — Second-team on floor.

Scores in Thursday’s semifinals

• Overall score — 197.200.
• Bars — 49.375.
• Beam — 49.325.
• Floor — 49.350.
• Vault — 49.150.

The Golden Gophers are sold program and have been for years. Not one of the elite in the sport of women’s gymnastics but good enough to upset an elite team now and then. Minnesota shouldn’t upset either Utah or UCLA, but crazier things have happened. Mya Hooten is a star for Minnesota, particularly on floor where she has been one of the best at the NCAA level for years now.

Quotable

“This is a great accomplishment for the team. This day is always a little nerve-wracking because you want to move forward, but you gotta do your job. For us, we did the job and were very consistent. We hit all of our routines and I’m just really proud of the team. They looked calm, relaxed and really confident.” — Minnesota head coach Jenny Hansen after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.

What to know about the Denver Pioneers?

• Seed — N/A
• National qualifying score — 196.735.
• Season-high score — 197.650

Event NQS rankings and season averages

• Balance beam — No. 21 (49.180).
• Floor exercise — No. 27 (49.225).
• Uneven bars — No. 10 (49.390).
• Vault — No. 13 (49.245).

2025 All-Americans

Scores in Thursday’s semifinals

• Overall score — 197.650.
• Bars — 49.4.
• Beam — 49.4.
• Floor — 49.35.
• Vault — 49.5.

The Pioneers have had a very up-and-down 2025 season, but turned things on at exactly the right time Thursday and upset No. 13 Stanford. Denver’s best two meets this season have come in the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah. The Pioneers have had a good amount of postseason success over the last five-plus years, but as an un-seeded team would likely need another season-best performance to upset either Utah or UCLA.

Quotable

“I’m so proud of the team. They were firing on all cylinders. They competed with freedom, stayed in the moment and had a focused, relaxed energy. It was a complete performance from start to finish. We’ve known we were capable of this and were just waiting for it to come together. We’re excited to advance to our sixth consecutive regional final on Saturday. Our fans and supporters were incredible. They were loud and brought energy and enthusiasm, just like they have all season long.” Denver head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.

Catholic Community Services of Utah says it may be forced to close its refugee resettlement program next year after it suffered a significant loss of federal funding under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Unless there is a significant shift in federal support or funding streams are restored (along with refugee admissions to the country), the program will close,” said Kearstin Fernandez, the organization’s communications director, in a Friday email to The Salt Lake Tribune.

She noted that, in the meantime, the program remains committed to serving its existing clients, but as of right now, “continuing the program beyond that point is not possible.”

The program currently supports 300 refugee families with things like housing, job searches and more as they work to become self-sufficient. But Aden Batar, the organization’s migration and refugee services director, said there is also concern about maintaining that support.

“We were hoping that the federal government will give us the funding to help these families that we already have here,” Batar said.

Instead, he said, they’ve already used most of their savings — just as other Catholic organizations throughout the country that help resettle refugees are facing similar predicaments.

“We’re a nonprofit organization,” he said. “We don’t have deep pockets.”

The fight for federal funding

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, an organization that secures federal funding and sends it to Catholic Community Services and similar organizations throughout the country, took the issue of its suspended funding to federal court in the District of Columbia in a Feb. 18 lawsuit.

They argue that although Trump suspended refugee admissions to the U.S. and federal aid through a series of executive orders, he didn’t specifically mention funds for refugees who had already been admitted to the country.

But, according to the lawsuit, the group received a letter from the U.S. Department of State on Jan. 24 that said its two already awarded cooperative agreements were suspended — pending review to see if they were in line with department priorities.

The suspended agreements central to the lawsuit amounted to about $65 million and were meant to run from Oct. 1, 2024, until Sep. 30, 2025.

The letter from The U.S. Department of State also indicated the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops could submit payment requests “for legitimate expenses” from before Jan. 24, but the lawsuit alleges the government wouldn’t reimburse the organization for $13 million it spent on resettlement services before Jan. 24 or the costs it had incurred since.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops asked the court to declare the refugee fund suspension unlawful and enjoin the federal government defendants to reimburse the organization for its incurred expenses.

The organization also asked the judge to require the government to pay its outstanding and future costs connected to its two agreements while the lawsuit is still being decided. Their request was denied.

On Feb. 26, two letters now included in court documents were sent to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from The U.S. Department of State. They said the awards in question were terminated because they weren’t in line with the agency’s priorities.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops argued the termination was illegal, as Congress had approved those funds for refugee resettlement.

‘They are at risk of becoming homeless’

While the legal battle is being fought in the nation’s capital.

Batar said Catholic Community Services has already had to lay off 25 employees involved in refugee resettlement.

And, if things continue, he said they may need to “drastically cut more services.”

He explained the organization accepted the 300 refugee families it’s currently helping between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20, before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ funding was suspended.

“They are at risk of becoming homeless,” Batar said of those who are depending on Catholic Community Services’ resettlement program.

If the needed funding doesn’t come in, they will have to make the difficult decision whether to cut off refugees before they are considered self-sufficient, he said.

Right now, his plea is to the community for critical funding.

“If we get private funding to continue our services, then we’re not going to rely on federal government,” he said.

Those interested in donating to Catholic Community Services of Utah can visit ccsutah.org/get-involved/in-kind-donations. Those interested in volunteering can visit ccsutah.org/get-involved/volunteer.