Catholic bishops took legal action against the Trump administration on Tuesday, contesting its sudden withdrawal of funding for refugee resettlement programs. The bishops argue that this decision is unlawful and detrimental to both newly arrived refugees and the country’s largest private resettlement initiative.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) claims the administration’s move violates multiple laws and undermines the constitutional authority of Congress over financial allocations, particularly since Congress had already approved the funding. The bishops have revealed that their Migration and Refugee Services department has had to issue layoff notices to 50 employees, which constitutes more than half of its workforce. This situation could lead to further job cuts in local Catholic Charities that collaborate with the national organization, according to the lawsuit.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who serves as the president of the USCCB, stated, “The Catholic Church is committed to safeguarding the common good and upholding the dignity of every human being, particularly those who are most vulnerable, including the unborn, the impoverished, the strangers, the elderly and ill, and immigrants.” He expressed that the halt in funding hinders the church’s ability to fulfill this mission.
“The conference is now in a position where it can no longer effectively provide support for the thousands of refugees who were welcomed into our nation and entrusted to the care of the USCCB by the government after they were granted legal status,” Broglio added. Although the conference is striving to maintain the program, he noted that it is becoming increasingly “financially unsustainable” and is pressing the U.S. government to adhere to its “moral and legal commitments.”
The USCCB is among ten national organizations, predominantly faith-based, engaged in refugee assistance. These organizations have been thrown into disarray following a letter from the State Department on January 24, which announced an immediate funding suspension pending a review of foreign aid initiatives. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia emphasizes that the resettlement program is not a foreign aid initiative but a domestic effort aimed at helping newly arrived, properly vetted refugees address fundamental needs like housing and employment.
The lawsuit indicates that the USCCB invests more in refugee resettlement annually than it receives from federal funding; however, the organization cannot sustain its operations without the essential support of federal funds that underpin this public-private collaboration. Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that the government’s actions are effectively “pulling the rug out” from beneath the program, leading to potentially irreversible harm.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Departments of State and Health and Human Services, along with their secretaries, Marco Rubio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. These departments are responsible for overseeing the resettlement work assigned to USCCB. So far, there has been no immediate courtroom response from these government entities. A spokesperson from HHS stated that the department does not comment on ongoing litigation.
The USCCB also reported it is still waiting for approximately $13 million in reimbursements for expenses incurred before January 24. As of January 25, the organization indicated that 6,758 refugees had been assigned by the government to its care and had been in the United States for less than 90 days—this is the time frame for which they qualify for resettlement assistance.
The USCCB warned that suspending these resettlement efforts would only delay refugees’ chances of finding work and achieving self-sufficiency. President Donald Trump, who sharply reduced refugee admissions during his previous term, reinstated this funding suspension immediately upon resuming office in January. He, along with his allies, has consistently criticized refugee resettlement and other immigration pathways.
Recently, Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism, accused the bishops’ conference of resettling “illegal immigrants” to benefit financially, referring to the resettlement program involving legally approved refugees. The lawsuit clarifies that federal reimbursements do not cover the entire cost of the program, highlighting that in 2023, the conference spent $4 million more than it received, despite additional donor support for local Catholic Charities and other programs. Vance’s remarks prompted responses not only from U.S. bishops but also an implicit admonition from Pope Francis, who emphasized that Christian charity entails offering help to those in need beyond one’s immediate circles.
