The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week filed suit against the State Department and HHS challenging the abrupt cutoff of funds for refugee resettlement. The complaint (full text) in U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops v. U.S. Department of State,, (DDC, filed 2/18/2025), alleges in part:
First, the Refugee Funding Suspension contravenes appropriations-related statutes and flouts the Constitution’s vesting of the power of the purse in Congress....
Second, the Refugee Funding Suspension is arbitrary and capricious. For the first time in forty-five years, and without warning, the government has cut off funding to USCCB for the essential services USCCB provides to government-approved refugees, including refugees already placed with USCCB and its subrecipients....
Third, the Refugee Funding Suspension is unlawful because it was done without public notice and opportunity to comment.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.
