Donald Trump Administration Ends 60-Year Funding Tie, Impacting Migrant Child Programs

Following the very public feud between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV that erupted from the Pontiff reprimanding the Trump administration's Iran policy, migration, and foreign policies, the Trump administration has made the decision to no longer fund Catholic Charities. In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has terminated the funding relationship that spanned more than six decades by canceling an $11 million federal contract with Catholic Charities.

Miami Herald reports that the federal government’s decision to defund the charities is not directly attributable to the conflict between the Pope and the President. The administration reportedly notified Catholic Charities about its decision in late March.

Father Federico Capdepon couldn’t hide his frustration while speaking to CBS News. "I feel very sad, disappointed. The children that we have helped for so many, many years, to cancel abruptly $11 million for helping migrants, I think, is totally unacceptable,” he said.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, has funded Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami since the 1960s. The federal funds have subsidized shelters for unaccompanied migrant children. Now, Church officials worry that the sudden loss of financial support could lead to the organization being forced to shut down its migrant outreach program within the next few months.

In its defense, the Department of Health and Human Services said that the number of unaccompanied children in daily care at the agency was “significantly lower” under the current administration, down to 1,900 from a peak of 22,000.

According to Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, while the decrease in number is commendable, it still doesn’t justify the abrupt cancellation of funding. He said that the decision could be related to the administration's resource allocation.

Referring to Operation Pedro Pan, a 1960s partnership between the government and the church that supported thousands of unaccompanied Cuban children who came to the U.S., Wenski said, “The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60 years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami.”

“The Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country.”

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He continued, "The positive impact of this cooperation between the federal government and Catholic Charities can be readily seen in the lives of former Pedro Pan children, who, through this intervention, grew up to be successful members of our communities."

"Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami's Catholic Charities' services for unaccompanied minors have been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months," Wenski added.

Parishioner Jenniffer de Jesus Sanchez mimicked a similar tone and said, "This is disgraceful because the children are a creation of G*d. They are sons of G*d.”​