The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced its intention to sever its refugee resettlement contracts with the federal government following cuts made by the Trump administration to combat waste and fraud.
In a statement published Monday, USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio said the body of bishops made the “heartbreaking” decision that it would “not be renewing existing cooperative agreements with the federal government related to children’s services and refugee support.” He attributed the move to “the suspension by the government of our cooperative agreements to resettle refugees.”
“The decision to reduce these programs drastically forces us to reconsider the best way to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters seeking safe harbor from violence and persecution,” Broglio added. “As a national effort, we simply cannot sustain the work on our own at current levels or in current form. As USCCB cooperative agreements for refugee resettlement and children’s programs end, we will work to identify alternative means of support for the people the federal government has already admitted to these programs.”
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After requesting prayers for “the many staff and refugees impacted” and lamenting the “painful end to a life-sustaining partnership with our government that has spanned decades across administrations across both political parties,” Broglio suggested that the USCCB ending its relationship with the federal government “offers every Catholic an opportunity to search our hearts for new ways to assist.”
Broglio vowed that “the USCCB will continue advocating for policy reforms that provide orderly, secure immigration processes, ensuring the safety of everyone in our communities,” adding: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating on behalf of men, women, and children suffering the scourge of human trafficking.”
“For half a century, we have been willing partners in implementing the government’s refugee resettlement program,” he continued. “The Gospel’s call to do what we can for the least among us remains our guide. We ask you to join us in praying for God’s grace in finding new ways to bring hope where it is most needed.”
The USCCB’s decision to cut ties with the federal government comes more than two-and-a-half months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Trump cited the program’s suspension as necessary due to “record levels of migration” that occurred during the Biden administration, insisting that “the United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees.”
Two weeks later, the White House announced that it was working to drastically reduce the size of the U.S. Agency for International Development in light of concerns about waste and fraud. Sources within the Trump administration estimated to Reuters that the administration planned to only keep 294 out of the agency’s 10,000 staffers.
In late February, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the Trump administration planned to cut 92% of foreign assistance-related grants. One State Department contract that found itself on the chopping block was a refugee resettlement contract with the USCCB. The State Department informed the USCCB in a Feb. 26 letter that the contract “no longer effectuated agency priorities.”
At an event commemorating the release of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s annual report, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck predicted that the “policy shifts” implemented during the Trump administration “will undoubtedly impact international religious freedom.” He identified “a suspension of refugee resettlement programs for those fleeing religious persecution in their countries of origin” as an example of a “policy shift” that will impact international religious freedom.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
