Catholic bishops have taken legal action against the Trump administration, challenging its sudden decision to cut funding for refugee resettlement.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday.
Calling the move unlawful and harmful to thousands of refugees and the nation’s largest private resettlement program.
The administration’s decision halted millions in funding, including reimbursements for costs already incurred.
The lawsuit argues that this violates multiple laws and undermines Congress’s authority over federal spending, as the funding had already been approved.
As a result, the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services has issued layoff notices to more than half of its staff—50 workers—while local Catholic Charities offices face additional cuts.
Trump vs Church
The sudden financial strain threatens the survival of a program that has long provided housing, job placement, and essential support to newly arrived refugees.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB, emphasized the church’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable.
“The Catholic Church always works to uphold the common good and promote the dignity of every person, including the unborn, the poor, the elderly, and migrants,” he stated.
He warned that the funding cut prevents the church from fulfilling its mission.
The bishops conference, one of ten national agencies responsible for refugee resettlement, received notice of the funding suspension in a Jan. 24 letter from the State Department.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that refugee resettlement is a domestic, not foreign, program.
Refugees enter the country legally after thorough vetting, and the funding supports their transition to self-sufficiency.
The USCCB stated that it is still awaiting $13 million in reimbursements and that 6,758 refugees under its care have been in the country for less than 90 days.
The period during which they qualify for resettlement aid. Suspending the program, the bishops argue, will only delay their ability to find employment and stability.
President Donald Trump, who previously reduced refugee admissions, immediately suspended the decades-old program upon returning to office in January.
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, criticized the bishops for allegedly using the program to resettle “illegal immigrants” for financial gain.
However, the lawsuit clarified that the program serves legally approved refugees, with the church often spending more than it receives in federal support.
Vance’s remarks sparked backlash from U.S. bishops and even an implicit rebuke from Pope Francis.
Who reminded Christians that charity must extend to all in need, not just those within one’s inner circle.
