A judge appointed by Donald Trump has declined an appeal by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to reinstate aid funding.
Judge Trevor McFadden heard the case in Washington’s district court.
The USCCB has had a contract with the federal government for over 50 years, for their work in resettling refugees to the US. They were seeking financial reimbursement for tens of millions of dollars, after Trump’s 90 day cut to foreign aid halted money planned to go to them.
Some of the blocked money was needed to pay for services already delivered. As a result of the cuts, the USCCB had to lay off staff. The Washington Post writes that they had to renege on offers to help refugees which they had already made.
Judge McFadden said that it was not within his powers to override an executive order.
“The conference asks the court to order the government to cancel the termination, pay money due, and reinstate the contracts,” he wrote. “That is something this court lacks the power to do.”
Vice-president JD Vance identifies as a Catholic. In January, he addressed the legal challenge: “As a Catholic… I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?
