Catholic Bishops Abandon Refugee Work after Government Pulls Support
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced that it will end its half-century of partnerships with the federal government to serve refugees and children due to funding cuts.
“As a national effort, we simply cannot sustain the work on our own at current levels or in current form,” said US military services archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB, said in a statement. “We will work to identify alternative means of support for the people the federal government has already admitted to these programs. We ask your prayers for the many staff and refugees impacted.”
According to the bishops, the decision means the bishops will not renew their existing agreements with the federal government, even though the announcement does not specify how long these agreements were scheduled to last, The Guardian reported.
Catholic bishops initially sued Donald Trump’s administration in February after freezing funds provided to newly arrived refugees.
“All participants in these programs were welcomed by the U.S. government to come to the United States,” Broglio said. “These are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope.”
The federal government previously gave the bishops about $100 million a year during the Biden administration, which they subsequently transferred to related Catholic organizations that provided services. More than 95% of the costs were funded by federal assistance in recent years.
Broglio further explained that the USCCB “simply cannot sustain the work on our own at current levels or in current form” and that the bishops “will work to identify alternative means of support for the people the federal government has already admitted to these programs.”
“Our efforts were acts of pastoral care and charity, generously supported by the people of God when funds received from the government did not cover the full cost,” he added. “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.”
Since its founding, the archbishop explained that the USCCB “has been concerned with helping families who are fleeing war, violence, and oppression.” For instance, the organization established a Bureau of Immigration in 1920 to help displaced families find new opportunities in the United States.
“Many of us can trace our own parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents to these very families,” Broglio noted.
He also implied that the organization “will continue advocating for policy reforms that provide orderly, secure immigration processes, ensuring the safety of everyone in our communities” and will “remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating on behalf of men, women, and children suffering the scourge of human trafficking.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Godong
Originally published April 09, 2025.
