Catholic Bishops sue Trump administration for halting funds for refugee settlement

On Tuesday in Washington D.C., the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for abruptly halting funding for refugee resettlement programs already approved and funded by Congress. This funding cut has significant financial and social impacts on several levels. Financially, the suspension of funds has led to layoffs and reduced services. The USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services had to issue layoff notices to 50 workers, more than half its staff, and additional cuts are expected in local Catholic Charities offices.

This disruption affects the ability of these organizations to provide essential services such as housing, job placement, and basic necessities for newly arrived refugees.  The administration’s abrupt suspension in funding for refugee settlement resulted in tens of millions of dollars in funding to be halted, according to The Independent. According to the lawsuit, the effects of those funds being curtailed have been “predictably devastating” for the group and the nearly 7,000 refugees it supports, 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a lawsuit the State Department suspended funding for refugee resettlement programs including reimbursements for refugee assistance that allegedly should have been allowed for work completed before Jan. 24.  ~ Forbes

Socially, the funding cut has left thousands of vulnerable refugees in precarious situations. Many refugees, including those from war-torn countries, rely on these programs for their initial integration into American society. The sudden halt in funding has created uncertainty and hardship for these individuals, who now face challenges in securing housing, employment, and access to healthcare. The Catholic bishops argue that the administration’s actions violate various laws and the constitutional provision giving Congress control over federal spending. They emphasize the moral and legal commitments to support refugees, highlighting the broader humanitarian crisis caused by the funding suspension.

“For decades, the U.S. government has chosen to admit refugees and outsourced its statutory responsibility to provide those refugees with resettlement assistance to non-profit organizations like USCCB,” the lawsuit states. “But now, after refugees have already arrived and been placed in USCCB’s care, the government is attempting to pull the rug out from under USCCB’s programs by halting funding.”  ~ The Independent

This isn’t the first lawsuit filed against the new administration by religious faith organizations.

Last week, a federal lawsuit was filed by more than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups over the administration’s new policy allowing immigration agents to enter houses of worship to make arrests. That suit said the policy violates their religious freedom and ability to minister to migrants. Quakers, Sikhs and others have filed a similar suit that is now pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland, according to The Washinton Post.

For more on the Catholic bishops suing the Trump administration for cutting refugee settlement funding, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Additional sources:  MSN, Funds for NGOs, AP News, CWS Global,)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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