Report Details Federal Funding Surge Behind Afghan Resettlement Efforts by Catholic Charities

A review of federal records and independent reports shows Catholic Charities earned millions in government grants during the Afghan airlift, prompting new questions about priorities within the U.S. Church.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Catholic Charities organizations across the United States received substantial federal payments during the Afghan resettlement effort under President Biden, according to data and reports reviewed by independent Catholic watchdog groups. The influx of funding followed the arrival of more than 76,000 Afghan nationals who were evacuated to the U.S. outside the traditional refugee system.

A report by Complicit Clergy, drawing on the Pew Research Religious Landscape Study, found that as federal grants to Catholic agencies grew, participation in the Church declined. The group charted major trends reported by OSV News: for every person joining the Catholic Church in the U.S., 8.4 have left; only 29 percent attend weekly Mass; and support for positions contrary to Church teaching has increased. The analysis noted that while these religious indicators fell, federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) rose sharply, suggesting an institutional shift toward government-funded operations.

One of the most visible examples of this dynamic emerged in Oklahoma City, where Catholic Charities expanded rapidly to handle Afghan arrivals. As reported by social commentator Amy Mek, the organization grew from 65 to 105 staff within 90 days and processed 1,800 resettlements in six months—up from just 21 the previous year. Each arrival brought federal payments of approximately $2,275 plus additional housing, food, and transportation subsidies. Mek argued this growth represented a “federal business operation,” not a charitable mission, pointing to the lack of full vetting amid the collapse of Afghan identity and biometric records.

Catholic Charities officials described their response as a humanitarian necessity, saying they “treated it like a disaster response.” However, critics contend that local communities had no input in the decision to relocate large groups of evacuees. Supporters said the effort reflected compassion and interfaith cooperation, while detractors saw it as evidence of misaligned priorities and reliance on government contracts.

The Complicit Clergy analysis compared rising federal grant totals with declining church engagement, concluding that “the only category that went up was federal funding.”

The Afghan relocation program involved partnerships with more than 80 religious and nonprofit organizations, including Muslim and interfaith groups. Critics have argued that this coalition blurred the line between faith-based charity and state-funded migration programs.

Amid the broader debate, Catholic Charities continues to describe its resettlement work as an extension of the Church’s social mission. But the data reveal a growing dependency on federal contracts, underscoring the tension between spiritual service and administrative expansion within one of America’s most prominent religious networks.