Immigration

Catholic Charities Ends Partnership With Feds After Trump Freezes Refugee Funding

The U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Monday that it is ending its partnership with the federal government for refugee resettlement in the United States, citing the Trump administration’s funding freeze.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will not renew cooperative agreements with the federal government for services related to refugee resettlement and other migrant services, the organization announced on its website. The decision comes after President Donald Trump, immediately upon entering office in January, signed an executive order freezing refugee resettlement programs.

Trump’s executive order shut off an incredible money tap for many non-governmental organizations that rake in millions of taxpayer dollars to facilitate massive refugee resettlement into the U.S. The USCCB was slated to earn $65 million in grants for such services before the executive order came down, according to court documents from its lawsuit over the matter.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, in an accompanying op-ed announcement Monday, said the Trump administration forced his hand.

“In the past, when government funds did not cover the full cost of these and other care programs, they were generously supported by the faithful,” Broglio said. “However, the work simply cannot be sustained at current levels or in its current form with only the church’s resources.”

“I want to be clear that this decision to end our resettlement agency does not mean walking away from helping refugees and others,” Broglio continued. “The Catholic Church will find new means to help those we have served in the past and will serve in the future.”

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 that called for a temporary suspension of all refugee resettlement into the U.S. In the order, Trump highlighted the plight of small towns like Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, that have dealt with incredible logistical and infrastructure challenges due to the large influx of refugees. The president also noted that other major jurisdictions, like New York City and Massachusetts, have declared emergencies due to the weight of their migrant populations.

The Biden White House, in contrast, allowed more than 100,000 refugees to settle in the U.S. throughout fiscal year 2024 — the highest resettlement number in roughly three decades.

Standing to lose millions in government contracts, the USCCB sued the Trump administration in February after the State Department cut funding for refugee admissions. Despite its legal challenge, the Catholic group decided the best path forward was to end its collaboration with the federal government.