On Thursday, the Trump Administration terminated a federal contract worth $11 million with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami.
This contract, overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), supported various services like shelter, foster care placement, and family reunification for unaccompanied migrant children arriving in the U.S. without guardians.
The program included a facility named Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, equipped with 81 beds and a network of approved foster homes. It operated separately from state child welfare initiatives for abused or neglected minors.
“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,” remarked Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami.
He noted that although the number of unaccompanied minors has decreased, it is perplexing to see a program of such high quality face closure due to funding withdrawal.
Emily G. Hillard, HHS press secretary, explained that ORR is “closing and consolidating unused facilities” as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal entry and trafficking.
She highlighted that the number of children in ORR care has dwindled to around 1,900, a significant drop from 22,000 during the previous administration.
Catholic Charities has a long-standing history of involvement in federal migrant and refugee programs across the nation. They have collaborated with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to deliver services such as refugee resettlement and temporary shelter for families processed by border authorities.
Historically, the USCCB has facilitated approximately 18 percent of all refugees entering the country, with recent years seeing over $100 million in federal funding for migration-related initiatives.
