The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Tuesday sued to challenge the Trump administration blocking funding for refugee resettlement programs.
Immigration groups have already sued over the administration suspending new refugee admissions, but the new lawsuit seeks to stop the State Department from freezing funding for local organizations that partner with the federal government to support refugees once they arrive in the United States.
The USCCB’s suit says more than 6,700 admitted refugees were assigned to it when its funding was suspended late last month, leaving the organization on the hook for millions of dollars weekly and already forcing it to lay off employees.
“Refugees who have already entered the United States may soon be cut off from support, contravening the statutorily expressed will of Congress and making it more difficult for them to establish themselves as productive members of society,” reads the complaint.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C.’s federal district court, claims the freeze undermines Congress’ power of the purse and violates multiple federal laws.
The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.
Since taking office, Trump has issued a flurry of immigration actions ranging from restricting birthright citizenship to taking on so-called sanctuary cities.
Those actions and the administration’s efforts to suspend various parts of the federal budget have come under legal scrutiny, part of nearly 80 lawsuits challenging major administration actions.
The USCCB said the State Department awarded it roughly $65 million for initial refugee resettlement programs this year and justified pausing the funds by pointing to Trump’s executive order suspending foreign aid and a suggestion that the awards “may not be consistent” with the department’s priorities.
“The fact that federal funding is integral to USCCB’s resettlement services is a direct result of congressional decisions about the design of the program and the appropriations directed it,” the lawsuit states.
“And the uncertainty now surrounding the funding and USCCB’s partnership with the government will cause long-term, potentially catastrophic consequences to USCCB’s programs, as the substantial financial risk of partnering with the government to provide these services is too high if reimbursements can be arbitrarily and unlawfully suspended,” it continues.
