WASHINGTON — A federal judge has declined to intervene in the Trump administration’s sudden decision to stop funding for the largest private refugee resettlement program, delivering a blow to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Judge Trevor McFadden turned down the bishops’ plea for a temporary restraining order that would have reinstated the funding, while he described his decision as “very tentative.” The judge, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, has requested that both parties participate in a mediation session with a federal magistrate judge scheduled for next week.

He remarked on the exceptional nature of such orders, emphasizing that “a temporary restraining order is an extraordinary remedy that should be granted sparingly.” The bishops are seeking to block the U.S. State Department from enforcing a funding suspension enacted on January 24, which they argue has impacted almost 7,000 newly arrived refugees.

The bishops claim that the elimination of these resettlement funds transgresses various laws and infringes upon the constitutional allocation of resources that grants Congress the power to control funding, which had already been authorized. More than half of the staff in the bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services have received layoff notices, with further reductions anticipated.

Their organization is among ten national agencies, predominantly faith-based, that have been left in disarray since the State Department’s notice of an immediate funding suspension pending a review of foreign aid initiatives. The current administration has expressed that the nation cannot accommodate more refugees and believes that the funding pause will help align resources with the president’s priorities.