Catholic bishops ending refugee work with federal government after Trump order

President Donald Trump's suspension of a program that resettled people fleeing Afghanistan, Ukraine and other war-torn countries has prompted Catholic bishops nationwide, including on Long Island, to end their decades-long collaboration with the federal government on resettlement efforts.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was making the "heartbreaking" decision to phase out its resettlement work after Trump's executive order on Jan. 20 suspending entry into the country of people under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. On Long Island, Catholic Charities over the decades has helped thousands of refugees in the program from Afghanistan, Cuba, Kosovo, Iraq, Ukraine, Vietnam and other countries, Newsday has reported.

The decision by the bishops "marks a painful end to a life-sustaining partnership with our government that has spanned decades across administrations of both political parties," the conference said in a statement. It added that for years it "has been concerned with helping families who are fleeing war, violence, and oppression find safe and secure homes."

Years of cooperation

In a statement, Catholic Charities of Long Island said it was "disappointed that these cooperative agreements to resettle refugees have now been terminated by the United States." The group noted since the 1970s it "has cooperated with the federal government in providing lifesaving programs for thousands of the world’s refugees fleeing violence and persecution."

The refugees it helped "underwent rigorous screening and were welcomed by the United States Government," the group said.

Catholic Charities, which is part of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, is the only organization in Nassau and Suffolk counties designated by the U.S. State Department to take part in its refugee resettlement program. It is one of nine such designated nonprofits nationwide.

Trump said in January he was suspending the refugee program as part of a widespread crackdown on illegal immigration.

"Over the last 4 years, the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)," Trump wrote in his executive order. "Cities and small towns alike, from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Ohio, to Whitewater, Wisconsin, have seen significant influxes of migrants. Even major urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, and Denver have sought federal aid to manage the burden of new arrivals."

"The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees," Trump said.

"I therefore direct that entry into the United States of refugees under the USRAP be suspended," the order continued.

Vetted refugees

Advocates said Trump was incorrectly conflating illegal immigration with the program for refugees, who are thoroughly vetted by the U.S. government, come here with a legal visa, receive minimal government assistance and are supposed to become self-sufficient within a year.

Catholic Charities on Long Island provides refugees with food, clothing, housing, health care, English language instruction and assistance with getting a job, the group’s website states.

"Catholic Charities plays no role in initiating, selecting or requesting refugee admissions, nor in determining where they may settle," the group states. Its work "is inspired by our Catholic faith to welcome those in need and has no political or partisan dimension."

The number of refugees admitted nationwide each year in the program is set by the U.S. president. They sank to 11,840 in 2020 during Trump’s last year in office, but rose to 100,000 under President Joe Biden, according to Department of Homeland Security figures. Catholic Charities of Long Island did not state how many refugees it assisted last year.

The bishops said their work with displaced families arriving here dates to 1920, when they established a Bureau of Immigration.

"Many of us can trace our own parents, grandparents, or great grandparents to these very families," the bishops said in their statement.

Refugees, they added, "are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope."