U.S. Catholic bishops have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its sudden halt to refugee resettlement.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has long provided care for thousands of refugees assigned to them after being granted legal status. In the lawsuit, they claim they have been wrongfully targeted as part of Trump’s broader efforts to eliminate foreign funding, despite being a domestic organization providing services within the U.S.
“USCCB spends more on refugee resettlement each year than it receives in funding from the federal government, but it cannot sustain its programs without the millions in federal funding that provide the foundation of this private-public partnership,” the lawsuit says. Since the ban, the conference has lost millions in funding, forcing them to lay off more than half of their staff, 50 workers in total. USCCB is arguing that this funding freeze undermines the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers and violates the congressional power of the purse.
This lawsuit comes in the wake of Pope Francis sending a letter to all U.S. bishops regarding the Trump administration’s mass deportations. Throughout his tenure, Pope Francis has been vocal about prioritizing the needs of migrants, frequently citing the biblical command to “welcome the stranger.”
This is not the first time Trump has clashed with the Pope. In 2016, before his initial presidential victory, Pope Francis criticized Trump’s border wall policy, stating that anyone who wants to build a wall to keep migrants out is “not a Christian.”
The current conflict carries broader implications for the administration, particularly for Vice President J.D. Vance, a proud, newly converted Catholic. The Pope’s criticisms have largely been directed at Vance, who accused U.S. bishops of opposing ICE raids only because they are concerned about “their bottom line.” He implied that the Catholic Church is primarily motivated by financial concerns, rather than genuine care for migrants.
Pope Francis has condemned the administration’s immigration policies, calling the mass deportations a “major crisis.” He warned, “what is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.”
As of February 3rd, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported 5,693 deportations in a post on X. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated last week that since Trump took office, more than 8,000 people have been arrested in immigration enforcement actions. Some have been deported, while others are being held in federal prisons or at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba.
These crackdowns have deeply impacted families across the country. Many parents are now afraid to send their children to school, fearing an ICE raid, while children worry that their parents may be deported while they are in class. With ICE now permitted to enter hospitals and schools, safe havens for immigrants are rapidly disappearing.These policies disproportionately target vulnerable communities, instilling fear in children, parents, teachers, healthcare workers, and immigrant families alike.
Adding insult to injury, the Trump administration has taken to social media to mock the suffering of deported families. They have posted videos titled “ASMR Deportation,” a perversion of the popular trend meant to evoke peace and relaxation through calming sounds. Instead, the administration has twisted it into a cruel joke.
Beyond the political implications, these actions also expose a deep hypocrisy. Both Trump and Vance claim to be devout Christians, yet their policies directly contradict the fundamental teachings of their faith. If they are willing to disregard the principles of the religion they claim to follow, it raises serious concerns about how they will treat the very laws and democratic institutions they have sworn to uphold.
