The United States Catholic Bishop Conference (USCCB) has made the “difficult decision” not to renew cooperation agreements with the federal government, in the midst of changes promoted by the administration of President Donald Trump to cut the financing of refugee programs.
“While this marks a painful end for a vital association with our government, which has spread throughout the administrations of both political parties, also offers each Catholic the opportunity to search our hearts in new ways to help,” said USCCB president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, in a statement of April 7.
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The Archbishop wrote that the cuts of funds “forces us to reconsider the best way to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters seeking a safe refuge against violence and persecution.”
For approximately four and a half decades, the USCCB He associated with the federal government to provide services that help reassure refugees and support minors who entered the country without a father or guardian, or who are separated from their families.
“All beneficiaries of these programs were welcomed by the US government to come to the United States,” Broglio said. “They are displaced souls who see in the United States a place of dreams and hope,” he added.
During the Biden administration, the federal government provided more than 100 million dollars annually to the bishops, who redirected these funds to affiliated Catholic organizations provided by these services. In recent years, federal financing covered more than 95% of expenses.
The Trump administration, which alleges that these programs overload both federal and local social services and facilitate unsustainable migration to the United States, has stopped the entry of new refugees and He has put an end to federal support aimed at the programs that finance the subsidiaries of the USCCB and other non -governmental organizations that provide services to migrants and refugees.
In February, the USCCB sued the Trump administration for freezing funds and fired 50 employees due to the financing deficit. Numerous Catholic organizations have also announced dismissals due to government cuts in national and international programs.
Broglio said the USCCB “simply cannot sustain work on our own at the current levels or in the current form.” In addition, he added that the bishops “will work to identify alternative means of support for the people that the federal government has already admitted in these programs.”
“Our efforts were acts of pastoral care and charity, generously supported by the people of God when the funds received from the government did not cover the total cost,” he added.
“The call of the Gospel to do what we can for the little ones among us remains our guide. We ask them to join us in prayer by the grace of God to find new ways of bringing hope where it is most needed,” said the archbishop.
Mons. Broglio said that the USCCB, since its foundation, “has been concerned with helping families fleeing war, violence and oppression.” In 1920, he added, established an immigration office to help displaced families to find new opportunities in the United States.
“Many of us can track our own parents, grandparents or great -grandparents to these same families,” Broglio said.
The president of the USCCB indicated that the organization “will continue to advocate for political reforms that provide ordered and insurance immigration processes, guaranteeing everyone’s safety in our communities” and will remain firm in its “commitment to advocate in favor of men, women and children who suffer the scourge of human beings traffic.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Tyler Arnold
Tyler Arnold is a reporter of the National Catholic Register. He previously worked at The Center Square and has published in various media, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative and The Federalist.