The Donald Trump Administration abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, an organization that shelters and cares for migrant children who arrive alone in the United States. The measure represents the end of a relationship of more than six decades between the federal government and that Catholic organization in Miami, dating back to the reception of Cuban children from Operation Peter Pan in the 1960s.
The Archdiocese of Miami reacted strongly. Archbishop Thomas Wenski said this Thursday at a press conference at the archdiocese headquarters in Miami Shores that “it will be difficult to reproduce this program in the future.” Wenski expressed doubts about the reasons behind the decision to suspend the program’s funding but noted that there may be certain “political maneuvers” behind the decision because the organization has received unfair accusations of aiding human trafficking networks, which “obviously is not true.”
According to the archbishop, the decision to end the contract was made in March, ruling out any connection to the recent tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the Pontiff’s criticism of the war with Iran. Wenski told EL PAÍS that although the government made the decision a month ago, the organization received the notification letter last week, so it is a “coincidence” that the announcement came when the tension between the Pope and Trump is occurring.
Catholic Charities operates as a network of local organizations that manage, in addition to the foster care system for immigrant children, refugee resettlement programs and services for the homeless, as well as food distribution and disaster assistance. It is unclear whether the cuts in Miami are a one-time measure or the beginning of a change in federal policy toward these providers. The funding came from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division within the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to the government, the justification for cutting funds is that there are now fewer migrant minors under federal custody—about 1,900, compared to a peak of 22,000 during the Biden Administration.
In an opinion piece in the Miami Herald, Archbishop Wenski called the government’s decision “disconcerting,” and while he acknowledged that it is true there are fewer migrant minors in custody, he questioned the selection of that specific program, which has decades of experience and proven results.
Without federal funds, the program will be forced to close in three months, according to the archbishop, leaving vulnerable minors in an uncertain situation.
Since 1960, the Archdiocese of Miami has provided shelter and services to thousands of unaccompanied migrant minors, and the model has had a lasting impact, as demonstrated by the case of the children from Operation Peter Pan, many of whom became professionals and leaders, the archbishop wrote in his opinion article.
Currently, the Archdiocese of Miami manages through the program a center in Palmetto Bay, southeast of the city, with capacity for 81 children, which helps place children in foster homes, reunite them with their families, and provide support services. “Given the trauma many of these minors have suffered before arriving in the United States, psychological care is also provided,” Wenski added.
Earlier this week, the Archbishop of Miami publicly intervened in the confrontation between Trump and the Pope. In a meeting with the press, Wenski criticized Trump for directly attacking Leo XIV and also an image posted by the president on social media where he appeared as a figure similar to Jesus Christ, which he later deleted. Wenski said Trump “probably regrets” posting the image and noted that “as Christians, we must try to resemble Jesus in actions, not appearances.” He also emphasized that Catholics must be guided by the Gospel, even if that puts them in tension with their own political positions.
It is unclear who could take over the relocation of the children under the care of Catholic Charities. Esther Jacobo, former secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, told the Miami Herald that it would probably take at least three to six months for any agency to launch a new child welfare program.
In a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement earlier this month, the Archdiocese noted that Latin America and the Caribbean are in the midst of “great instability” due to political polarization, gangs, economic crises, and disasters. “Historically, this instability has resulted in a large influx of immigrants to South Florida,” the letter says. “The reality is that many children will arrive and need shelter.”
After Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, Catholic Charities and the U.S. State Department promoted Operation Peter Pan, a program through which about 14,000 Cuban children traveled to Miami without their parents. Many were housed in orphanages or later reunited with their families.
At Thursday’s press conference, people who arrived in the United States in the sixties through Operation Peter Pan gave their testimony and expressed gratitude to Catholic Charities for the care and opportunities they had as children.