The Trump administration has canceled an $11 million federal contract that helps shelter and care for migrant children who enter the United States without a parent or legal guardian — putting a decades-long program in South Florida at risk of shutting down within months.
The decision affects Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which has provided services to unaccompanied minors for more than 60 years. Church officials say the sudden loss of funding could force the organization to end its operations tied to migrant children within three months.
The move comes amid broader tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, over issues including migration. However, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski indicated the situation is ultimately about federal funding decisions and how resources are allocated.
South Florida parishioners express their disappointment over the funding cut
Speaking to CBS News Miami, Father Federico Capdepon expressed frustration and disappointment over the cancellation.
“I feel very sad, disappointed,” Capdepon said. “The children that we have helped for so many, many years — to cancel abruptly $11 million for helping migrants — I think is totally unacceptable.”
Capdepon, who led Mass at Corpus Christi Church in Miami on Wednesday, said the funding cut could have immediate consequences for vulnerable children who rely on these services.
Parishioner Jenniffer de Jesus Sanchez echoed similar concerns.
“This is disgraceful because the children are a creation of God. They are sons of God,” Sanchez said.
The archbishop speaks out about the cuts to our news partners at the Miami Herald
Wenski, who was not available for comment on the funding cut, addressed the broader impact of such programs in a recent opinion article shared with the Miami Herald. In it, he pointed to the historical success of government partnerships with Catholic Charities, referencing Operation Pedro Pan, which brought thousands of unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States in the ’60s.
“The positive impact of this cooperation between the federal government and Catholic Charities can be readily seen in the lives of former Pedro Pan children,” Wenski wrote. “Who, through this intervention, grew up to be successful members of our communities.”
He also warned that the current funding decision could end a long-standing support system for vulnerable youth.
“Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors have been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months,” Wenski added.
For years, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has contracted Catholic Charities in Miami to provide housing and care for migrant children arriving alone at the border. According to church officials, the federal government notified the organization in late March that the funding would be terminated.
Capdepon said the consequences extend beyond politics.
“It’s very sad that this is happening — that the poor, the migrants that we are helping are paying the price for what’s going on in our country,” he said.
The Archdiocese of Miami announced it will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to address the situation and discuss whether there are any alternatives to continue the program.
