Topline
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of improperly halting funding for the conference’s refugee resettlement programs. This legal action represents the latest instance of opposition to the administration’s efforts to reduce funding for various government agencies and initiatives.
Key Facts
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops claims that the State Department suspended funding that had been approved by Congress for refugee resettlement programs. This includes reimbursements for refugee assistance for services rendered prior to January 24. According to the lawsuit, a letter from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration indicated that reimbursements should cover assistance work done before that date, yet the State Department did not provide reimbursement for those expenses.
The lawsuit suggests that the State Department justified the funding suspension by citing an executive order aimed at reducing foreign aid and mentioned a “vague suggestion” regarding inconsistency with the agency’s priorities.
As a result of the funding freeze, the Conference stated it has been compelled to lay off 50 employees, which represents over half of its refugee resettlement staff. The Conference argues that this funding suspension violates the Constitution’s separation of powers and infringes upon Congress’s “power of the purse,” which allows Congress to control government spending. The State Department has not provided a timely response to inquiries from Forbes.
Key Background
The Trump administration is dealing with numerous lawsuits that challenge its authority to implement substantial cuts and layoffs across federal agencies. Many of these legal challenges contend that the administration is bypassing Congressional approval for these actions. Additionally, several lawsuits target the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which President Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead, with the goal of eliminating federal waste. So far, court outcomes have been mixed; although the administration has faced orders to cease broad funding suspensions, it recently won a case when U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed an effort by 14 state attorneys general to prevent DOGE from accessing federal data and terminating federal employees.
