Catholic Groups Forced to Lay Off Employees, Shut Down Refugee Services After Federal Funding Halted
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) are laying off employees and closing aid centers following a funding freeze imposed by the Trump administration.
The USCCB announced that its refugee services have ceased operations, and payments to affiliate organizations have been suspended due to the loss of federal funding. As a result, up to 50 employees have been laid off, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
USCCB General Secretary Father Michael Fuller expressed concerns over the disruption caused by the funding halt, noting that it has led to “confusion both within various agencies and with those who interact with them.” The organization has been forced to suspend services for illegal immigrants in the U.S., particularly “unaccompanied children.”
As the world’s largest refugee resettlement agency, the USCCB has historically assisted about 18% of incoming illegal immigrants in finding placement within U.S. communities each year. The organization had anticipated receiving $20 million in federal funding, which is now on hold pending a 90-day review period implemented by the Trump administration.
“Like all other agencies, this has placed the Conference in a difficult situation. The Conference does not have the funds to continue operations in USCCB Refugee Services at the current levels,” the USCCB stated. “As such, we must inform our local Catholic Charities and other subcontracting agencies that there will be a delay in payments until further notice. This will be a burden on them and the people they serve and will result in staff layoffs.”
The funding freeze has also impacted Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) USA, which has announced a “total work stoppage” due to the lack of federal funds.
JRS USA relies on federal funding to provide essential resources such as food, water, and medicine to communities in Africa, including Chad, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, South Africa, South Sudan, and Uganda, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The organization warned that the funding shortfall could impact more than 150,000 refugees across Africa and the Middle East. JRS USA had been expecting $18 million in federal funding for the 2025 fiscal year.