Arlington office to close, 18 jobs cut

Cayuga Centers will close its Arlington office on Jan. 4, ending operations at the facility located at 1200 E. Copeland Road. The nonprofit, based in New York state, filed a layoff notice with the Texas Workforce Commission on Oct. 5. The filing covers 18 employees based in Texas and lists plant closing and downsizing as the primary reasons for the action.

The Arlington site is one of six offices opened in 2021 for the Home Study and Post Release Services program. This federal initiative supports unaccompanied migrant children by ensuring proposed temporary homes are safe while immigration cases proceed. Cayuga has provided general services to this demographic since 2014. The office serves children under 18 who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian.

An employee at the Arlington location, who requested anonymity, said staff were told layoffs would occur if the federal government contract was not renewed. The employee noted that personnel have not received further details on the contract's status or updates regarding the office closure. Case loads have fluctuated due to turnover and limited case availability, according to the source.

The employee stated that staff were originally informed they could expect up to 20 cases at any time. However, the number of active cases has dropped considerably over the past two years. The employee could not specify the exact total number of children served by the Arlington office, noting that individual caseloads vary based on several operational factors.

Cayuga did not respond to requests for comment regarding the closure. Two company contacts named in the layoff notice, executive vice presidents Christina Samuels and Lexie Shutter, also did not reply. The nonprofit previously stated that the program is designed to guarantee the long-term safety and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children before, during, and after their release from the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Layoff notices were also filed for four other HS/PRS offices in Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Fort Lauderdale. These filings occurred around the start of October and indicate the same Jan. 4 closure date. A total of 109 people received notices in this round of Texas-related layoffs. Four Cayuga offices in New York closed in June, resulting in 335 job losses according to state records.

The federal government announced in September the elimination of several Department of Health and Human Services grants. The White House briefing noted that $567 million in funds for services to refugees and unaccompanied children were eliminated. The Administration for Children and Families stated that fewer than 8,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossed the southern border in fiscal year 2026 so far, compared to 109,998 in fiscal year 2024.