• The UN’s Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) outlines a $1.4 billion budget to support 2.3 million migrants moving towards the U.S. border, funded in part by U.S. taxpayers.
• The plan includes funding for cash assistance, food, shelter, transportation, and legal services for migrants, using American taxpayer dollars.
• Republican lawmakers are pushing to defund UN migration programs, arguing it’s a misuse of U.S. taxpayer dollars to undermine national sovereignty.
• The UN and NGOs are criticized for facilitating illegal immigration and facing scrutiny over their role in supporting migrants moving without authorization.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to implement sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policy, a sprawling network of United Nations-affiliated and independent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is doubling down on efforts to support mass migration to the U.S. southern border – using billions in American taxpayer dollars.

The UN’s 2025-2026 Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP), released shortly after Trump’s reelection, outlines a $1.4 billion budget to assist 2.3 million foreign nationals moving through 17 Latin American countries toward the U.S. border. The plan, spearheaded by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), includes funding for cash assistance, food, shelter, transportation and legal services for migrants.

The U.S. is the largest contributor to these UN agencies, providing $1.9 billion to the UNHCR in 2023 alone – a staggering increase from $377 million in 2019. Critics argue that this funding has inadvertently fueled the largest illegal immigration surge in U.S. history, which The New York Times recently attributed to President Joe Biden’s “welcoming immigration policy.”

Billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars fund migration support

The RMRP document details how U.S. taxpayer dollars will be used to support migrants en route to the U.S. border. In 2025, $259 million is earmarked for “cash, voucher assistance and multi-purpose cash assistance” to 390,000 individuals, distributed via rechargeable debit cards, bank transfers and mobile payments. Another $134 million will provide food for 851,600 people, while $297 million will fund shelter for 735,000 migrants, including hotels and long-term rentals.

The plan also allocates $13.5 million for “humanitarian transportation” and $150 million for health services, among other expenditures. These funds are intended to sustain migrants as they traverse dangerous routes, such as the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, where migration flows have already dropped by 40% in anticipation of Trump’s stricter policies.

The RMRP initiative began in 2019 to address the exodus of Venezuelans fleeing their collapsing economy. However, the program has since expanded to support migrants of “other nationalities…engaging in transit and onward movements” to the U.S. southern border.

Legal and propaganda efforts aim to counter U.S. border policies

The RMRP document also reveals plans to allocate $204 million for “protection” services, including legal assistance and counseling to counter “restrictive and security-focused approaches” to migration. This funding will support efforts to challenge deportations, detentions and returns to countries deemed unsafe by migrant advocates.

Eduardo Stein, the UN’s Joint Special Representative for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants, emphasized the need to “change the narrative” around migration in the document’s introduction. “It is essential to…keep striving for bringing to the fore the positive narrative of the contributions [migrants] can provide to receiving communities,” Stein wrote.

Critics argue that these efforts are designed to undermine Trump’s planned border crackdown, which includes a “detain-and-expel” policy to replace Biden’s “catch-and-release” approach. By sustaining migrants in third countries, the UN and NGOs may be positioning themselves to facilitate future migration surges if Trump’s policies falter or a more immigration-friendly administration takes office.

Republican lawmakers push to defund UN migration programs

The UN-led migration support network has drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, who view it as a misuse of U.S. taxpayer dollars to undermine national sovereignty. Texas Rep. Lance Gooden, who previously introduced legislation to defund the UN, told The Daily Wire that he plans to renew his efforts under the Trump administration.

“Under the Biden administration, U.S. dollars are being funneled through the United Nation’s IOM into programs that facilitate and encourage illegal migration into our own country,” Gooden said. “I will work with President Trump to ensure that not one cent of American money supports the erosion of our sovereignty. We will end this taxpayer-funded invasion.”

The UN and NGOs have also faced scrutiny for their role in facilitating illegal immigration. In 2022, UNHCR spokeswoman Silvia Garduno stated that her agency does not consider evidence of illegal immigration but instead views migrants as “vulnerable asylum seekers.” However, the RMRP document repeatedly acknowledges that many of those assisted are moving across international borders without authorization.

A growing controversy over U.S. funding

The controversy over U.S. funding for migration support extends beyond the UN In April 2024, two Texas lawmakers accused Catholic Charities of San Antonio of misusing federal funds to purchase airline tickets for migrants. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican, argued that the FEMA Shelter and Services Program was never intended to cover long-distance transportation.

“These tax dollars were not intended to be used to fly illegal immigrants all over their country to the destination of their choice,” De La Cruz said. “They misused funds and sent these illegal immigrants where their preferred destination was with taxpayers’ hard-earned money. This is just simply unacceptable.”

Catholic Charities of San Antonio, which received $10.8 million in FEMA funding, has not provided details on how the money is spent. However, the organization has defended its work, stating that it provides “safety, meals, hygiene kits and blankets to those in need.”

To stop the invasion, they must stop the money

As the U.S. prepares for a dramatic shift in immigration policy under the Trump administration, the role of UN-affiliated NGOs and their use of American taxpayer dollars remains a contentious issue. Critics argue that these organizations are perpetuating a crisis at the southern border, while advocates maintain that they are providing essential humanitarian aid.

With Republicans now controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, the stage is set for a potential showdown over U.S. funding for migration support programs. As Rep. Gooden put it, “We will end this taxpayer-funded invasion.” Whether the UN and NGOs can adapt to the new political reality – or whether they will continue to fuel mass migration – remains to be seen.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

DailyWire.com

Congress.gov

BorderReport.com