“The abrupt nature of this halt is disorienting to them.”

Sartorius said he has been told that when the program resumes in the next few months, the numbers of refugees allowed into the country will be cut in half.

He fears that even when the ban is lifted, it will take time to get resettlement back on track.

“You can’t just mothball such a large system. We work with employees, schools, apartment complexes. It takes time to build all of that.” And in the meantime, Catholic Charities will have to decide what to do with its employees who were working on refugee resettlement.

Sartorius said that while he was disappointed with Trump’s action, he acknowledged the need to keep the nation safe.

“We are an immigrant country. They make us great. We should not be afraid of immigrants. Without exception, the people we have resettled are high-caliber people. There’s no reason to keep them away.

“They are going to be our future homeowners, business owners. This strengthens the fabric of the United States. Immigration is not a foreign concept, it is one of our proudest traditions.”