WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Paul Coakley, the new president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), met privately with President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other administration officials at the White House on Monday.
While it is unknown what exactly was discussed during Coakley’s White House meeting, which was closed to the press, a USCCB statement emphasized that areas of “mutual concern” were addressed. The meeting comes after the bishops’ conference has clashed with the Trump administration for the past year over its crackdown on illegal immigration and its slashing of the USCCB’s federal funding.
“Archbishop Coakley had the opportunity for introductory meetings with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other Administration officials, in which they discussed areas of mutual concern, as well as areas for further dialogue,” a statement from the USCCB posted to X read. “Archbishop Coakley is grateful for the engagement and looks forward to ongoing discussions.”
Archbishop Coakley, @ArchbishopOKC, had the opportunity for introductory meetings with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other Administration officials, in which they discussed areas of mutual concern, as well as areas for further dialogue. Archbishop Coakley is grateful…
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) January 13, 2026
Soon after Trump returned to the White House last January, the administration began cutting funds to both the USCCB as well as Catholic Charities, which have both been sharply criticized, including by Catholics, for their alleged aiding of illegal immigration.
Catholic Charities manages the day-to-day care for many unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and, along with the USCCB, has received $449 million from the U.S. government to shelter and transport unaccompanied immigrant children over the years.
READ: Concerned Catholics request RICO investigation of bishops’ actions in letter to JD Vance
Catholic Charities has also been scrutinized for placing these children with unvetted sponsors, even after reports emerged that some of these children ended up in forced labor, sex trafficking, or other forms of abuse.
The day he began his second term, Trump signed the executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” that stipulated the removal of foreign nationals in violation of immigration laws and the review of funds to NGOs, including Catholic Charities and the USCCB, that support or provide services to illegal aliens.
Shortly after signing that order, the Trump administration issued a major blow to both organizations by placing a 90-day freeze on foreign aid dispersed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides significant funding, along with other NGOs backing abortion and the “LGBTQ” agenda.
The USCCB responded to the freeze by suing the administration over previously committed funds. The State Department, in turn, canceled its multimillion-dollar refugee resettlement contracts with the USCCB, prompting the USCCB to end its migrant resettlement contracts with the government.
The USCCB has also released numerous statements denouncing the administration’s immigration policy, most notably in its “Special Message” approved during the conference’s November Plenary Assembly, during which Coakley was elected as USCCB president.
READ: US bishops denounce Trump’s deportations in first ‘special message’ in over adecade
“Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants,” the message read.
“We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together … We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”
During a December interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, Archbishop Coakley slammed the administration’s deportation campaign for purportedly “instilling fear in a rather widespread manner,” adding, “People have a right to live in security and without fear of random deportations.” The USCCB president failed to mention any of the dangers of illegal or mass immigration, such as the displacement of American workers or the heinous crimes committed by MS-13 gang members and others entering the country illegally.
READ: USCCB president criticizes Trump border policies but fails to recognize harms of immigration
Several bishops, such as Bishop Joseph Strickland, have denounced the USCCB for urging the faithful to welcome “migrants” and staunchly opposing the enforcement of immigration law while remaining silent about the hordes of criminals who cross the border illegally.
“You harm the little ones when you promote lawlessness and turn a blind eye to the rapes, the murders and the attacks of nefarious criminals who waltz across open borders,” Strickland said in November.
It’s also worth noting that current deportation numbers under Trump are not as “record-breaking” as they are made out to be by the media and by the bishops. In the first half of 2025, ICE deportations were estimated at around 800 per day – far fewer than under President Barack Obama, who oversaw more than 400,000 removals in fiscal year 2012 alone.
Coakley, who is also known for his support of the Church’s doctrine on abortion, may have also discussed Trump’s recent troubling comments to House Republicans about compromising on their opposition to the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds to pay for abortions. The president also asked GOP lawmakers to “own” his administration’s policies, making in vitro fertilization (IVF) easier to obtain, which also contradicts Catholic teaching.
