U.S. bishops end agreements with federal government to serve refugees, migrant children

After almost 50 years of working with the federal government to resettle refugees and migrant children, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced on April 7 that it will not renew the cooperative agreements related to children’s services and refugee support.

The move comes after the
USCCB sued the Trump administration in February after it abruptly halted funding for its refugee resettlement program. The federal government owed the conference millions in reimbursements for services provided prior to the funding halt, according to the USCCB.

The halt resulted in layoffs of 50 people in the conference’s Migration and Refugee Services office, according to media reports. Further layoffs at local Catholic Charities may occur, since the agencies partner with the national office to assist refugees and migrant children.

“From its very founding, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been concerned with helping families who are fleeing war, violence, and oppression find safe and secure homes,” the USCCB said in a news release. “What would eventually become the USCCB was founded in 1917 as the National Catholic War Council to support the war effort and care for Catholics in the military. In 1920, it established a Bureau of Immigration to help displaced families find new opportunities in the United States. Many of us can trace our own parents, grandparents or great grandparents to these very families.

“Over the years, partnerships with the federal government helped expand lifesaving programs, benefiting our sisters and brothers from many parts of the world. All participants in these programs were welcomed by the U.S. government to come to the United States and underwent rigorous screening before their arrival. These are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope,” the conference said.

Some assisted American efforts abroad and sought refuge in this country as a place to worship God freely and safely, according to the conference.

“As a national effort, we simply cannot sustain the work on our own at current levels or in current form. As USCCB cooperative agreements for refugee resettlement and children’s programs end, we will work to identify alternative means of support for the people the federal government has already admitted to these programs,” the conference said.

The conference will look for new ways to assist refugees and migrant children, it said.

“The USCCB will continue advocating for policy reforms that provide orderly, secure immigration processes, ensuring the safety of everyone in our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating on behalf of men, women and children suffering the scourge of human trafficking.

“For half a century, we have been willing partners in implementing the government’s refugee resettlement program. The Gospel’s call to do what we can for the least among us remains our guide. We ask you to join us in praying for God’s grace in finding new ways to bring hope where it is most needed.”