Trump 'Abruptly' Cuts Funding to Miami Catholic Charity Amid Exploding Tensions With Pope Leo

The Trump administration has reportedly canceled a multimillion-dollar contract with a Catholic charity that houses migrant children.

This comes as tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV escalate over immigration policy and the Iran conflict.

Trump called Pope Leo "weak" and "terrible" in a Truth Social post over the weekend, and the pope responded by saying he has "no fear" of the Trump administration.

According to the Miami Herald, the Trump administration has abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities that to shelter migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, thereby ending a relationship between the Catholic Charities and the U.S. government which started back during the first arrivals of Cuban exiles in South Florida.

The report reveals that Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami has supported unaccompanied minors with essential services for over 60 years, but now faces the possibility of shutting down within months after the administration ended the $11 million federal contract.

The Archdiocese of Miami said on Tuesday, April 14, that Archbishop Thomas Wenski was not immediately available to comment on the cancellation.

A statement from Wenski was later shared with the Miami Herald's editorial board.

"The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60 years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami," the statement said.

Wenski asserted that the Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have earned strong recognition for their quality and have often been looked to as an example by agencies across the country.

The statement further added, “Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors has been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months.”

The publication also initiated an enquiry, in response to which, the Department of Health and Human Services said that the number of unaccompanied migrant children in its care was much lower under the Trump administration -- around 1,900 -- compared to a peak of about 22,000 during the Joe Biden administration.

In addition, the Miami Herald’s report also quoted the Health and Human Services press secretary, who said, “The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is closing and consolidating unused facilities as the Trump Administration continues efforts to stop illegal entry and the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied alien children,” without singling out Catholic Charities as the affected organization.

Over the weekend, Trump fired a scathing retort to Pope Leo XIV in a long Truth Social post, following the latter's critique of the president's Iran war rhetoric.

A part of Trump's lengthy note read, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”

In response to this, Leo gave a brief yet hard-hitting response, asserting that he has “no fear” of the Trump administration.