(LifeSiteNews) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that could jeopardize federal funding to non-governmental organizations, like Catholic Charities, allegedly bringing foreign nationals illegally to the U.S.
Karoline Leavitt, the new White House Press Secretary, told reporters on Tuesday evening, in response to a question about the end to funding of such NGOs – the questioner alleged Catholic Charities was one – that she was sure the president had signed an executive order “that did just that.”
Trump sinking gov’t funds to corrupt “Catholic Charities.” h/t @complicitclergy pic.twitter.com/1IVVGyQD0O
— Fr. Dave Nix (@FrDaveNix) January 28, 2025
Leavitt was allegedly referring to Trump’s January 20 executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” After pledging that the federal government will “faithfully” execute “the immigration laws of the United States,” the executive order stipulated several outcomes, including the removal of foreign nations in violation of immigration laws and the review of funds to NGOs that support or provide services to “illegal aliens.” Section 19, regarding a “Funding Review,” states:
The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall:
(a) Immediately review and, if appropriate, audit all contracts, grants, or other agreements providing Federal funding to non-governmental organizations supporting or providing services, either directly or indirectly, to removable or illegal aliens, to ensure that such agreements conform to applicable law and are free of waste, fraud, and abuse, and that they do not promote or facilitate violations of our immigration laws;
(b) Pause distribution of all further funds pursuant to such agreements pending the results of the review in subsection (a) of this section;
(c) Terminate all such agreements determined to be in violation of law or to be sources of waste, fraud, or abuse and prohibit any such future agreements;
(d) Coordinate with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to ensure that no funding for agreements described in subsection (c) of this section is included in any appropriations request for the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security; and
(e) Initiate clawback or recoupment procedures, if appropriate, for any agreements described in subsection (c) of this section.
One week after this executive order, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum that hit the pause button on federal financial assistance. However, the budget office rescinded the memo on Thursday, January 29, after a federal judge had blocked its implementation.
In a Wednesday X post, Leavitt claimed that the repeal of the budget office memo did not impact the January 20 executive order on federal funding, which is ostensibly still in effect. This means that for NGOs like Catholic Charities, their federal funds are not frozen, but they could still see their funding stripped if the Trump administration finds that they “promote or facilitate violations” of U.S. immigration law.
Catholic Charities USA had responded to the now-rescinded White House memo by asking publicly for a “reconsideration of freeze on aid for nonprofit service organizations.”
“Last year, 92 percent of the services provided by the 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies around the country covered basic needs – access to food, housing, health care and other necessities – for families and individuals struggling to get by,” wrote Catholic Charities USA’s new president and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson, adding that millions of Americans rely on this “life-giving support.”
These vital services include food pantries for those who can’t afford groceries, childcare programs for low-income families, meal deliveries for homebound seniors, job training resources for veterans, temporary and permanent housing, mental health services and much more. The millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs. The people who will lose access to crucial care are our neighbors and family members. They live in every corner of the country and represent all races, religions and political affiliations. For more than a century, the Catholic Charities network has worked with the government to care for poor and vulnerable people in every community in the U.S., and we continue to be eager to work with government to care for our neighbors in need. We strongly urge the administration to rethink this decision.
According to The NonProfit Times, Catholic Charities USA reported funding of $4.5 billion last year.
At issue is the allegation that Catholic Charities USA does indeed bring foreign nationals to the U.S. illegally. It is well-known that the organization assists foreign nationals who have broken U.S. immigration laws; for example, there is a Catholic Charities video extant advising such people of their rights when approached by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
EXPOSED: Catholic Charities Coaching Illegals on How to Evade Immigration Authorities!
Watch this shocking video where Catholic Charities openly instructs illegals on how to dodge ICE, avoid answering questions, and game the system.
These tactics aren’t about “rights”—they’re… pic.twitter.com/hfgJXfwsv2
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 27, 2025
Last year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) denied that Catholic charities who serve “newcomers” are involved in illegal activities, and suggested that anti-Catholic bias has played a role in “accusations that the Church is betraying the United States, violating its tax exempt status, or seeking new members through its ministries…”
The USCCB insisted that Catholic charities work with civil authorities in their works of mercy.
“Catholic organizations cooperate in providing humanitarian aid with local, state, and federal officials,” their statement reads. “This includes working with law enforcement to identity and counter criminal activity, such as human trafficking, and assisting those who have been victimized by crime. Agencies such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) often rely on Catholic organizations for their expertise and as trusted partners within local communities.”
However, in his January 20 executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” President Trump alleged that civil authorities – that is, the Biden administration – had been complicit in immigration crimes:
Over the last 4 years, the prior administration invited, administered, and oversaw an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States. Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws.
As Catholic Charities USA assists foreign nationals in violation of U.S. immigration laws, the future of their federal funding is thus insecure. Meanwhile, its president and CEO, Kerry Alys Robinson, has asked the public to help Catholic Charities agencies “continue to offer critical services to your neighbors in need” by making a donation or volunteering.
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This article was updated and revised from a previous version.