Republicans in Congress are seeking to crack down on nongovernmental organizations receiving millions of dollars in federal funding while helping people who violate immigration laws.

The legislation comes as religious charities have been in the spotlight for their work helping migrants in the country illegally while receiving significant sums from the federal government. 

Senator Hagerty is introducing the Fixing Exemptions for Networks Choosing to Enable Illegal Migration Act, which would strip organizations that help illegal immigrants of their tax-exempt status.

In a statement, Mr. Hagerty’s office said, “Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and these organizations will be able to preserve their tax-exempt status simply by ceasing these activities.”

In the House, Congressman Lance Gooden is reintroducing the Protecting Federal Funds from Human Trafficking and Smuggling Act. The bill would block federal contracts or grants from going to NGOs unless they receive a certification from the Office of Management and Budget that says they are not engaged in human trafficking or smuggling. 

Additionally, the House bill would require such organizations to verify that they are not providing benefits to illegal immigrants. 

“For years, non-governmental organizations have exploited taxpayer dollars to facilitate illegal immigration under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid,” Mr. Gooden said in a statement. “The exploitation of the American taxpayer will end under the Trump Administration. This bill ensures that not a single cent of hard-earned American tax dollars will fund organizations complicit in human trafficking and illegal border crossings.”

The introduction of the bills comes as charities, especially religious organizations, have come under fire for their efforts to aid illegal immigrants by providing a range of benefits such as shelter, food, and clothing while receiving millions of dollars from the federal government.

The conservative outlet City Journal reported that federal funding for refugees increased to $10 billion in 2023 from $2.2 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement increased to $616 million from $33 million during that same period. 

“Catholic groups were among the leading recipients of this money. Total federal grants and contributions made to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its affiliate organizations for refugee-assistance programs rose from $14.6 million under the first Trump administration in 2019 to $122.6 million in 2022, according to audited financial statements,” City Journal reports.

Besides their efforts to help integrate refugees into communities, a Catholic charity is facing criticism after a video surfaced that instructs people in America illegally how to evade immigration officials. 

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Refugee & Immigration Services Program created a video that tells illegal immigrants how to avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at their workplace. Some of the tips in the video include encouraging migrants not to talk to officials or refusing to hand over documents. 

Catholic Charities USA has also said it is a “challenge” to “support the federal government’s right and duty to regulate our borders while also calling for bipartisan, effective, humane reforms to our country’s broken immigration system.”

Additionally, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops describes its Resettlement Services as the “largest refugee resettlement agency in the world.” The Jesuit magazine America found that in 2023, the conference received $129.6 million from the federal government for its resettlement services. 

While the organization has supported several of President Trump’s executive orders, it criticized one order that allows ICE agents to remove illegal immigrants from “sensitive locations” such as schools or churches. 

The large sums the groups have received, along with allegations they are providing benefits and assistance to illegal immigrants, has sparked a backlash from conservatives, including Vice President Vance, who is Catholic. 

In an interview with CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, Mr. Vance said, “I think the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has, frankly, not been a good partner in common-sense immigration enforcement that the American people voted for, and I hope, again, as a devout Catholic, that they’ll do better.

“I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?” he asked. 

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticized Mr. Vance’s comments, which he called “scurrilous” and “nasty.”

“You think we make money caring for the immigrants? We’re losing it hand over fist,” Mr. Dolan said on his Sirius XM show. 

Defenders of Catholic organizations argue the church’s doctrine requires it to help migrants or people in need. They also argue that while there have been reported incidents of priests offering benefits or shelter to illegal immigrants, the vast majority of the charitable organizations are helping migrants who are in the country legally. 

The concerns about nongovernmental organizations helping migrants stretch beyond the Catholic Church, too. The leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, shared a post on X on February 2 that accused Lutheran groups of receiving “illegal payments” for their migrant services. 

The bishop who presides over the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Eaton, called the post “misinformation and baseless.”

In February 2024, Tucson Samaritans, part of the Southside Presbyterian Church, was accused of helping migrants enter the country illegally after a video appeared to show one volunteer with the group holding up a section of border fence to let migrants enter the country. Tucson Samaritans insist the video is a “misrepresentation of events.”

If passed, the bills introduced by Mr. Hagerty and Mr. Gooden would also address other NGOs that are not religiously affiliated but have also received federal funds and are accused of helping illegal immigrants.