On Thursday, federal Judge Trevor McFadden refused to approve the USCCB's restraining order request and did not direct the Trump administration to resume funding for resettlement programs overseen by the USCCB.
(LifeSiteNews) -- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has stumbled out of the gate in its lawsuit against the Trump administration.
On Thursday, federal Judge Trevor McFadden refused to approve their restraining order request and did not direct the government to resume funding for resettlement programs overseen by the USCCB.
“I want to see further briefing from the parties,” McFadden said, adding that the bishops have not shown they have suffered “irreparable harm.”
At the same time, McFadden allowed a preliminary injunction request to proceed. If approved, it would unfreeze taxpayer dollars for the USCCB’s programs. McFadden, a Trump appointed judge who serves on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also directed the parties to have a mediation session with a federal judge.
On January 24, just four days after Trump was sworn in, the State Department notified the USCCB of the pause on funding. The conference has since stated that the move negatively impacts nearly 7,000 refugees assigned to it by the government through its programs.
The USCCB has faced growing criticism in recent weeks since current Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, openly questioned whether their motives to help migrants is driven by a desire for profit.
Conservative pundits have likewise called out the USCCB for its involvement in the Biden administration’s open border policies, which have resulted in surging crime, including human and drug trafficking.
The USCCB and umbrella organization Catholic Charities received $449 million from the government to shelter and transport unaccompanied immigrant children under the Biden administration, which lost track of around 300,000 children, putting them at risk of trafficking and exploitation.
