The Trump administration seeks to rescind $810 million Congress approved for refugee, immigrant and other services; $567 million is for refugee assistance. Congress has 45 days to act while the funds are paused, but the September 30 fiscal-year end could mean they lapse.
The proposed package spans the Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice departments, as well as international aid. Other cuts include $10 million from the Minority Business Development Agency’s $50 million for programs, $15 million for case management of people supervised by ICE but not detained, and $10 million in grants helping lawful permanent residents prepare for citizenship.
The White House calls the spending harmful or wasteful and says the refugee account is overfunded because Trump’s border policies curbed crossings. Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley argue the president cannot cancel appropriated funds without congressional approval. The administration cites authority under the Impoundment Control Act; it used a pocket rescission to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid last year, the first such move since Jimmy Carter in 1977.
