Prohibits federal funding to the United Nations' immigration and refugee relief organizations IOM, UNHCR, and UNRWA, and requires a study and audit of past funding.
Lance Gooden
Representative
TX-5
The "No Tax Dollars for the United Nations Immigration Invasion Act" prohibits the U.S. government from financially contributing to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It also mandates a study by the Comptroller General to identify all federal assistance programs that provide funds to these organizations, detailing amounts, restrictions, and potential repayments, as well as an audit of the Department of State’s Refugee Travel Loan Program. A report summarizing the study and audit results must be submitted to Congress within 180 days of the Act's enactment.
Federal Funding Ban for UN Migration Agencies: New Bill Prohibits US Contributions
The "No Tax Dollars for the United Nation's Immigration Invasion Act" does exactly what it sounds like: it blocks any U.S. federal funds from going to three major United Nations organizations that assist migrants and refugees worldwide. These are the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Cash Cut-Off
The core of this bill is a straight-up prohibition. No federal department or agency can contribute to these three UN bodies (SEC. 2). It's a blanket ban, meaning no grants, no cooperative agreements, no workarounds. This could impact everything from disaster relief in refugee camps to programs that help people resettle.
For example, if a family displaced by conflict in, say, Sudan, receives aid from UNHCR to get to a safer location, that kind of assistance could be jeopardized if the U.S. pulls its funding. Or, if UNRWA provides schooling for Palestinian children, that education program might face cuts.
Digging into the Details
Beyond the immediate funding ban, the bill orders a deep dive into past spending. The Comptroller General (basically the government's top auditor) has to conduct a study identifying all federal programs that have funneled money to these UN agencies from 2021 through 2025 (SEC. 3). They need to figure out:
- Exactly how much money went to each organization, year by year.
- Which specific U.S. programs provided the funds.
- Whether there were any restrictions on how that money could be used.
- How much money each of the organizations should pay back to the United States Government.
This isn't just a quick look. The Comptroller General also has to audit the State Department's Refugee Travel Loan Program, which helps refugees with the costs of coming to the U.S. The results of this study and audit have to be reported to Congress within 180 days of the bill's enactment (SEC. 3).
Potential Ripple Effects
While the bill focuses on these three UN agencies, the broader implications are worth considering. The U.S. is a major donor to international aid efforts. Pulling funding from these organizations could create significant gaps in services for vulnerable populations. It might also signal a shift in how the U.S. approaches international cooperation on migration and refugee issues. The required study and audit might reveal more about the extent of U.S. involvement and could lead to further policy changes down the line.
It should be noted that the phrasing of the bill uses the term "Immigration Invasion" in the actual title, which can be loaded language. The choice of words could indicate a particular stance on immigration itself, framing it as a threat rather than a complex global issue.