Trump cancels millions of dollars in funding for refugees, immigrants

Trump cancels millions of dollars in funding for refugees, immigrants MEE staff on Mon, 09/28/2026 - 21:23 Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle decry the overreach of executive power by challenging Congress's control of the purse US President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on 28 September 2026 (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP) Off The Trump administration is moving to cancel $810m in funding appropriated by the US Congress for refugees, immigrants, and related services, the Office of Management and Budget said over the weekend. The Trump administration sent House Speaker Mike Johnson a letter on Friday proposing rescissions at the Departments of Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and the Justice Department. A rescission is when the president calls on Congress to cancel specific appropriations. “Enacting the rescission would… be consistent with the Administration's goal of ending the use of Federal taxpayer dollars to support non-citizens, putting Americans first,” the letter, first reported by CNN on Saturday, stated.  Trump's 'sweeping' ICC sanctions over Netanyahu arrest warrant are imminent: Reports Read More » Some lawmakers are criticising the move as a broad overreach of executive power that bypasses Congress. “Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law,” Susan Collins, a Republican member of Congress, stated. “I will work with my colleagues to address these illegal actions.” “A pocket rescission is an illegal line item veto. It is the president saying that he and he alone will convert a bipartisan spending bill (that has been signed into law) into a partisan spending bill,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley wrote on X. “He is cancelling the lines of spending he doesn't like,” he added. The cuts come as part of the Trump administrati