Hundreds of Arab journalists in US left in limbo after Trump administration freezes funding

Mass lay-offs at Washington-funded Arabic broadcaster has left hundreds without jobs, visas or answers

The studio at Arabic TV network Alhurra. Photo: Alhurra

Families are pulling children out of school weeks before the academic year ends, leases are being broken, household items are put up for sale and mortgage payments are turning into mounting debts, as about 300 Arab media professionals in the US face an increasingly uncertain future.

These journalists were employed by the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), a US government-funded Arabic-language broadcaster that runs Alhurra TV, Radio Sawa and five other digital platforms aimed at audiences across the Middle East and North Africa.

On April 11, MBN dismissed about 90 per cent of its workforce, retaining only 30 employees now operating a digital-only version of its services. The mass lay-offs followed a US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) freeze on congressionally approved grants to MBN's parent agency, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The freeze affected funds already earmarked through September this year.

For the Arab journalists, losing their jobs means many have lost their legal right to be in the US. Sources told The National that about 60 people are still on temporary work visas, while at least 25 are now at risk of being deported.

Others, even those with work permits, permanent residency or US citizenship are caught in a legal and financial grey zone, as no employees have received severance packages to date.

“It is very chaotic and very complicated. We are left with nothing," said one journalist who had been laid off.

With headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, and an annual budget of $106.6 million, MBN was established after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 as part of a public diplomacy initiative to reflect the American narrative to Arabic-speaking audiences. The organisation hired journalists and relocated them to the US, helping it to reach an estimated 33.5 million people each week.

Who takes the blame?

A group of former staff is currently pursuing legal action, pressing for severance payments and clarity on their employment terms.

One journalist who began her career with Alhurra in 2004 said dozens of her colleagues and their families are preparing to return to the Middle East, "but we are determined to get our rights and are seeking to file a lawsuit".

While several former employees blame MBN leadership for the lack of support or severance, the company says its hands are tied.

Jeffrey Gedmin, president and chief executive of MBN, told The National that the agency is being deprived of funds that had already been approved.

"Doge does not speak with us. Leadership at our parent agency, USAGM, refuses to engage with us," Mr Gedmin said. "They are withholding congressionally approved funds. The people in charge decline to meet or speak with us. Our only recourse is the US courts."

He was appointed in October 2024, shortly after MBN laid off 160 employees following a 20 per cent budget cut mandated by Congress. At the time, the network also announced a shift to digital-focused output and reduced physical infrastructure.

Asked about accusations from former staff, Mr Gedmin said the company "urgently needed congressionally approved funding to provide severance".

"We are pleading our case in court," he added. "With a small staff and very limited financial resources, we’re doing what we can. Our employees have done everything right. There’s no reason for this. USAGM owes us the funding that would allow us to assist them, including those with humanitarian or legal needs."

Visa issues

For the hundreds of Arab journalists who relocated to the US to join MBN, it was a chance at a more stable life, far from the uncertainty and conflict that defines much of the region they left behind. Most arrived on J1 visas tied directly to their employment and had expected to begin the process of applying for a permanent residency green card and, eventually, US citizenship. But the outlook has changed drastically. Without a new sponsor, some will have to leave.

“We’re split into groups,” a former employee said. “Some have citizenship or green cards and are staying to look for new jobs. Others have work permits that allow them to remain legally in the US for a few years. But there are people who have 30 days from their termination date in April to leave the country.”

Some who had already applied for green cards now find themselves trapped in a heavy backlog. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reported increased delays in processing due to a rise in application volumes, pandemic-related closures and staffing shortages.

“Going back to the Middle East is on the table for me,” said one former MBN employee who arrived in 2021 and expected to obtain a green card within a year, but has been waiting for three. “But I still want to look for alternatives here first. It’s a tough job market now, especially for Arabs.”

The wider US job market, particularly for those working in jobs connected to the government, is also under pressure. Since January, Doge, led by Elon Musk, has led an aggressive campaign to reduce the federal workforce as part of a broader effort to shrink government operations. Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost and critical agencies have seen severe cuts.

Press freedom concerns

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the cuts at MBN, calling it a “betrayal of the US’ historical commitment to press freedom". CPJ’s chief global affairs officer Gypsy Guillen Kaiser told The National the dismantling of MBN will leave millions without access to reliable news.

The organisation also warned of the personal risk some laid-off journalists now face. “We are aware of cases in which journalists with visas tied to their employment at USAGM outlets could be deported to countries where they face surveillance, prosecution or possible imprisonment," it said.

CPJ said it is working with USAGM and other affiliates to ensure that US authorities are aware of the urgent humanitarian and legal risks connected to the decision.

Future uncertain despite fund ruling

The MBN case has now entered a legal stand-off. On April 23, a US federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding to MBN, but some of the laid-off journalists told The National it remains unclear whether USAGM will actually release the money. The judge's order also covers Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.

Despite the turmoil, MBN will continue to operate a minimal digital service until the end of May, Mr Gedmin said, in the hopes that the frozen funds will be released, allowing the organisation to resume operations and address the fallout. But with time running out, there is growing uncertainty over whether the ruling will be enforced.

For now, the future of MBN hangs in the balance, and the journalists once given the task of reporting on instability in the Arab world are now living through it in the US.