Trump allies of the president are leveling attacks on religious groups, including Catholics and Lutherans, and questioning their efforts to help migrants.
The Trump administration and its allies have launched a series of inflammatory attacks on Catholic and Lutheran organizations for their charitable work with migrants and refugees.
These attacks, coupled with the administration’s decision to cut funding for refugee resettlement programs, have left many religious group reeling, accusing the administration of abandoning the very principles of compassion and service that define Christianity.
The controversy erupted last month when Vice President JD Vance accused the U.S. Catholic Church of being motivated by financial gain in its efforts to assist immigrants and refugees.
Vance, without providing evidence, alleged that the Church works with millions of “illegal immigrants,” a claim directly contradicted by annual financial audits showing that Catholic groups spend far more on immigrant services than they receive from the federal government.
The attacks escalated when retired General Michael Flynn, a prominent Trump ally, took to social media to accuse Lutheran organizations of “money laundering.”
Flynn’s post, which placed quotation marks around the word “Lutheran,” was shared by billionaire Elon Musk, who claimed that multiple Lutheran organizations providing healthcare, food pantries, and refugee assistance were operating “illegally.”
Musk’s post referenced his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been criticized by courts for overstepping legal boundaries.
Funding Cuts Cripple Refugee Resettlement Efforts
The verbal assaults come amid a broader crackdown on faith-based refugee resettlement programs.
The Trump administration recently ended funding for World Relief, the nation’s largest evangelical refugee resettlement program, leaving the organization facing an $8 million funding gap. This funding lapse will immediately impact 4,000 refugees from around the world who rely on World Relief to resettle in the United States.
“This is just a complete reversal of the Bush-era goal of bringing faith groups into public works and elevating their role in American life,” said Melissa Deckman, a political scientist and CEO of the polling firm PRRI. “These actions are a total abandonment of faith-based groups.”
The cuts mark a stark departure from the policies of former President George W. Bush, who championed the role of faith-based organizations in addressing social issues.
In 2001, Bush established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, praising religious groups as “some of the finest America has got to offer.”
Lutheran and Catholic leaders have vehemently denied the allegations, emphasizing that their work is rooted in the teachings of Jesus, who called on his followers to care for the vulnerable and welcome strangers.
“For people who have dedicated 40, 50 years to this work, it’s been incredibly hurtful to hear such extreme comments,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge, a Lutheran-founded organization. “A lot of people are upset and worried about our country heading in a direction that disregards our past.”
Ed Stetzer, an evangelical pastor and consultant on international missionary efforts, called the attacks “a fringe population currently in power who will say anything shocking just to insult the good work these organizations do.”
Stetzer added, “When people start tweeting that religious refugee relief groups that have worked with six presidents are money-laundering, it means you don’t understand the heart of religious people in this country.”
The attacks on faith-based charities signal a dramatic shift in the Republican Party’s relationship with religious groups.
While white evangelicals remain a core part of Trump’s political base, the administration’s actions suggest a willingness to alienate other religious communities that do not align with its political agenda.
A recent PRRI survey highlighted the complex relationship between white evangelicals and immigration, with 62% agreeing that immigrants who enter the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
This rhetoric, echoed by Trump and his allies, has created a rift between the administration and religious groups that prioritize humanitarian aid over political ideology.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
The attacks on Catholic and Lutheran organizations stand in stark contrast to the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus praises a Samaritan for helping a wounded stranger while religious leaders pass by.
The parable, found in the Gospel of Luke, underscores the moral imperative to show compassion to those in need, regardless of their background or status.
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” Jesus asked. The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Trump’s actions represent a betrayal of this fundamental Christian teaching.
“Religion as a general concept, including religious institutions, isn’t held in the same level of esteem and trust as it used to be,” said Dave Campbell, a professor of politics and religion at the University of Notre Dame. “As a result, Vance, Flynn, and Musk felt it was politically safe to attack religious groups.”
As the attacks continue, faith-based organizations are urging Americans to remember the values that have long defined the nation’s religious communities.
“I want people to understand that a lot of Americans want to welcome people who have done it the right way, and refugees are the most vetted categories of immigrants,” said Chelsea Sobolik, director of government relations for World Relief.
For now, the future of faith-based refugee resettlement programs remains uncertain. But for those who have dedicated their lives to serving the vulnerable, the message is clear: the work of compassion must continue, even in the face of adversity.
“Go and do likewise,” Jesus said. For Catholics, Lutherans, and countless other faith groups, those words remain a call to action—one that no political attack can silence.
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