by WorldTribune Staff, February 9, 2025 Real World News
A ministry of the Episcopal bishop who criticized President Donald Trump during the inaugural prayer service received millions in taxpayer funds from the Biden-Harris administration, a report said.
Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Budde's Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM) received $53 million in 2023 for its migrant resettlement program, the New York Post reported.
The Trump administration has temporarily paused these programs for evaluation.
According to records, EMM received the U.S. taxpayer funds from various government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals in 2023.
Budget figures for 2024 are not yet available. However, the EMM said that it sponsored 6,400 individuals in 2024 from across 48 countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Vietnam, and others, the Post's report said.
Budde lashed out at Trump during her sermon on Jan. 20, saying: "Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. In the name of a loving God, to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings...They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals...I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away."
The Post's report noted that EMM facilitates the resettlement of LGBTQ migrants and asylees through a specialized federal refugee initiation established during the Obama administration, known as "Preferred Communities." The program provides extra government funds over standard resettlement programs, and is specifically designed for "refugees experiencing social or psychological difficulties, including emotional trauma resulting from war and/or sexual or gender-based violence; survivors of torture; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) refugees; refugees who are HIV positive; populations with physical disabilities or other medical conditions."
There is also a public-private partnership initiative called the "Matching Grant." Via the program, the Department of Health and Human Services offers the EMM $1 for every 10 cents, so it's not quite an exact match.
The Episcopal Church also earns a commission for collecting travel loans made to refugees by the EMM.
Additionally, the International Organization for Migration, which lends money for refugees' travel to the United States, is funded by taxpayers. The Episcopal Church, not EMM, retains 25% of the money if the refugee repays the interest-free loan.
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