A federal judge on Thursday delivered a major blow to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), denying their attempt to force the Trump administration into continuing taxpayer funding for their massive refugee resettlement operations.
Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, rejected the bishops’ request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have forced the administration to immediately restore funding.
The lawsuit, filed by the non-profit organization USCCB in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenged the Trump administration’s decision to cut off federal grants that fuel the mass resettlement of migrants across America—programs that have operated for decades with little oversight. The lawsuit names the State Department, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as defendants.
The decision to halt funding aligns with President Trump’s America First agenda, ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars are no longer funneled into organizations facilitating unchecked migration.
At the time of the funding cutoff last month, USCCB was overseeing 6,700 refugees and was seeking reimbursement for $14 million in unpaid expenses. The bishops claim they have since accrued an additional $11 million in costs, bringing their total demand from the government to a staggering $27 million, according to WUSA9.
“For nearly 80 years, the Catholic Church has been caring for refugees within the United States. Refugees face significant challenges upon entering the country, including locating housing, learning English, and finding employment,” according to the complaint.
“The Church has long helped to ease those burdens and integrate refugees into American society by providing shelter, clothing, food, and training.”
Trump administration has urged the court to reject the Catholic Bishops’ request for an emergency injunction, arguing that the funding pause is lawful and necessary to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in line with foreign policy objectives.
According to the State Department’s legal memorandum:
“Plaintiff fails to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits: (1) Plaintiff does not identify an agency action or a final agency action; (2) the State Department has not acted contrary to law; (3) the State Department’s pause in funding is not arbitrary and capricious; and (4) the State Department’s implementation of the Foreign Aid Order is not subject to notice and comment rulemaking procedures.
Second, Plaintiff fails to establish irreparable harm because its alleged harms are monetary. And, third, the balance of harms and the public interest weigh in favor of the President’s ability to implement his agenda consistent with his constitutional and statutory authorities.
Despite the bishops’ dramatic claims, Judge McFadden wasn’t buying it. While acknowledging that the organization might have a case in the long run, he made it clear that it had failed to demonstrate “irreparable harm” necessary for an emergency injunction.
More from WUSA9:
McFadden, a 2017 appointee of President Donald Trump, said during a hearing Thursday USCCB might have the better of the two arguments in the long term. In the short term, though, he said the organization had failed to show it would suffer irreparable harm by having to shoulder the burden of funding its programs until he can rule on a preliminary injunction.
“I don’t think they’ve made out irreparable harm for such an exigent and extraordinary remedy,” McFadden said.
The judge did agree to consider a motion for a preliminary injunction that would restore funding on an expedited basis. He ordered the Trump administration to respond with a briefing by Monday at 4 p.m. He also ordered a decision-maker from the State Department to appear for a mediation hearing with USCCB before a federal magistrate judge next week.
The parties were directed to return on Feb. 28 for a hearing on USCCB’s motion for a preliminary injunction.
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