Thune: Ads promoting Trump political message “shouldn’t be paid for by taxpayer dollars”

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the cancellation of $810 million in funding allocated by Congress for refugees, immigrants, and related services, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The administration's letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson proposes rescissions at several key departments, including Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and the Justice Department.

The White House claims that this action aligns with its goal of prioritizing American citizens over non-citizens, emphasizing that it is an effort to eliminate the use of federal taxpayer dollars to support non-citizens. However, lawmakers from both parties have criticized the move as a blatant overreach of executive power, arguing that it bypasses Congress's control of the budget.

Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley have both expressed their opposition to the rescission, stating that it is an illegal violation of the law and a pocket veto, respectively. The Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown includes efforts to abolish birthright citizenship and limit the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in detaining lawful refugees.