Trump Administration Cancels $810 Million in Refugee and Immigrant Funding in Move Bypassing Congress

The Trump administration is moving to cancel $810 million of funding appropriated by Congress for refugees, immigrants, and other services, arguing the expenditures are unnecessary, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget.

Known as a pocket rescission, the package of proposed cuts was sent from Donald Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson in a notification letter. It includes proposed rescissions across the Departments of Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and the Justice Department, with several targeting international assistance programs.

While the White House argues that President Donald Trump is targeting harmful government spending, lawmakers are criticizing the action as an illegal line-item veto that bypasses congressional authority. Once submitted, the funds are paused while Congress has 45 days to act. Given that the fiscal year ends on September 30, the maneuver essentially sets the funds up to be canceled.

Among the proposed actions is the cancellation of $10 million from the $50 million allocated for Minority Business Development Agency programs, which the administration claims were appropriated for unconstitutional race-based purposes. Another rescission seeks to cancel $567 million for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance account under Health and Human Services, with the White House asserting that the office is overfunded due to border policies curbing crossings.

Additional cuts target the Department of Homeland Security, including $15 million for the Alternatives to Detention-Case Management Pilot Program and $10 million from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Citizenship and Integration grant program.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins criticized the pocket rescission on X, stating that the Office of Management and Budget intentionally withheld funds to execute an unlawful cancellation. Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley similarly denounced the move as a violation of the constitutional separation of powers.

The White House defended the effort by pointing to the Impoundment Control Act, noting that Donald Trump previously utilized similar presidential authorities to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid last year.