NATIONWIDE -- The world's tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free are no longer seeking refuge in the U.S., raising concern among refugee groups. 

One refugee group says it anticipated the decline about 18 months ago, when the Trump administration issued the travel ban on five Muslim-majority countries. It was further amplified when the number of refugees allowed into the country was capped from 100,000 a year to 45,000, the lowest it has ever been.

The decline is problematic for groups like Caritas of Austin, which resettles up to 700 refugees a year on average. However, for 2018, it anticipates resettling only 150; a 77 percent drop.

Caritas' executive director, Jo Kathryn Quinn, explained that they are funded per refugee they're working with. When there are fewer people, they receive less funding, which has led to a loss in staffing.

The group employs 26 people for its refugee resettling program every year. Now, it only has 11.

However, the group says it's doing its best to make sure clients won't feel the loss in resources.

"These are families that are being driven from their home countries because of war. They are 100 percent reliant on us for their housing, for their food, for employment and we take that very seriously," Quinn said. "We must have adequate resources in order to serve them."

Now, they're turning to the community to make sure they can maintain the quality of their services through fundraising and volunteering.

"We're not going anywhere," she said. "This is a hiccup and, certainly, a challenge, but we can withstand this challenge and we know the community supports our work and welcomes refugees."

Right now, most refugees are from the Middle East, specifically Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and a few from Syria.