U.S. Catholic bishops sue Trump administration over refugee funding freeze

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is suing the Trump administration over what the bishops say is an unlawful suspension of funding for refugee programs in the United States.

Upon taking office last month, President Donald Trump issued sweeping executive orders that, among other measures, directed a freeze on foreign assistance funds and grants, with the White House seeking to uproot left-wing initiatives in federally funded programs.

The orders have led to a flurry of legal challenges from advocates and nonprofit groups arguing that the funding freeze is unlawful. Other groups such as Catholic Charities have urged the Trump administration to reconsider the freeze, citing the “crucial care” the funding helps provide.

In their lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., the USCCB notes that it has worked with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration for “nearly half a century” in order to assist with refugee resettlement in the U.S.

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The refugee bureau has committed “around $65 million in federal funding” to the USCCB and its affiliates for refugee services, the bishops say in their suit. Yet on Jan. 24 the State Department suspended funding “without prior notice,” with the bishops receiving a “cursory, two-page letter” informing them of the suspension.

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