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Press Release

White House rescinds nearly $1B in federal funding, despite congressional approval

Global Refuge Staff

September 26, 2026

Most of the cancellations target Health and Human Services (HHS) programs serving refugees, unaccompanied children, and other humanitarian populations 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2026

Contact: Timothy Young | timothy[dot]young at globalrefuge[dot]org

WASHINGTON – The following is a statement by Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge:

“The Administration has announced it will not spend nearly $1 billion that lawmakers approved, and will instead let that funding expire. Under the U.S. Constitution, however, Congress holds the power of the purse, and legislators of both parties agreed to fund these federal programs. That choice isn’t the White House’s to reverse unilaterally.”

“This includes funding Congress appropriated for programs that protect the most vulnerable unaccompanied children and help refugees find work, learn English, and stand on their own. Many of these programs serve refugees who went through years of vetting before arriving, including Afghan allies who risked their lives alongside American troops. When federal support for this work falls short, the need doesn’t disappear. It falls to the schools, congregations, and local communities that have to step up in the absence of federal leadership.”

“We urge Congress to act swiftly to reaffirm its bipartisan commitment to refugee resettlement and services for unaccompanied children in the FY27 appropriations process, and to ensure that once funding is appropriated, it is used as intended.”

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