Trump plans to slash $810 million in pro-immigration, climate change, and DEI funds

President Donald Trump is eliminating more than $800 million in federal funding, largely targeting programs to benefit illegal aliens and bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. According to a Sept. 25 letter from Trump to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), the White House is eliminating 11 funding pools totaling $810 million.

The move is called a “pocket rescission,” a rarely-used presidential action effectively cancelling the use of federal funds appropriated by Congress. The president is authorized to make the rescissions to eliminate unused funding for executive branch agencies within the final days of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. Last year, Trump became the first President to use “pocket rescissions” in almost 50 years.

Ordinarily, Congress has 45 days to consider and decide on rescissions proposed by the White House. Pocket rescissions generally take effect regardless of Congressional approval since the funds expire before Congress can complete its review of the proposed cancellation.

One funding pool Trump eliminated had earmarked nearly $570 million for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Refugee and Entrant Assistance account. The program is now “overfunded,” Trump wrote, “due to the Administration's successful border policies.”

Under former president Joe Biden, the program was partly responsible for placing unaccompanied migrant children encountered at the border in dangerous situations and HHS reportedly “misplaced” roughly 300,000 children.

“Enacting the rescission would address excess funds in the account and be consistent with the Administration's goal of ending the use of Federal taxpayer dollars to support non-citizens, putting Americans first,” Trump wrote.

Another funding program Trump rescinded provided the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with $15 million to pay non-profit and non-governmental organizations to “provide mental health services, social services, legal orientation, and cultural orientation for immigrants and asylees.” None of the money was used throughout the 2026 fiscal year, but Trump said that the program has been used in the past to benefit illegal aliens.

An additional $10 million allocated to DHS was also rescinded. That money had been set aside to assist foreign nationals, including illegal aliens, in obtaining U.S. citizenship.

Trump also rescinded $25 million dedicated to the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) “Special Programs for Migrant Students,” which the President said “subsidizes aliens to come to the United States at the expense of American children and workers.” The program has also been used to promote LGBT ideology, including running an LGBT youth summit for foreign national children and “Therapy for Latinx” workshops.

Last year, Trump eliminated the Community Relations Service (CRS) within the Department of Justice (DOJ), but Congress still appropriated funds for the program. In his letter last week, Trump rescinded $15 million in funding originally earmarked for CRS.

In the past, CRS was responsible for liaising with family and friends of victims of violent crimes involving a racial component and pressing the victims’ family and friends not to address issues of race. The program was officially tasked with “preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.”

The President dissolved the division in 2025, deeming it to be racially discriminatory and inflammatory, instead transferring all CRS responsibilities required by federal statute to other DOJ personnel.

Trump wrote, “In practice, [CRS]  worked to stoke racial tensions and promote radical critical race theory and gender ideology.”

“In their public-facing materials, the Agency espoused ‘law enforcement training and the transgender community’ and other ideologies,” he continued. “Enacting the rescission does not impact CRS, as all remaining statutory functions have already been transferred to the U.S. Attorneys.”

Trump also rescinded $10 million originally appropriated for the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) programs. The MBDA programs, Trump said, award business grants “based on race.”

“Divisive and discriminatory programs are at the core mission of MBDA,” he wrote, adding that he proposed eliminating the program entirely for the 2027 fiscal year.

Other rescissions Trump made include roughly $70 million for a DOE program bringing foreign nationals into the U.S. for research fellowships, more than $56 million for a “housing counselling” program run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, $27.7 million for an HHS research program that Trump characterized as “redundant,” nearly $9 million for a Treasury Department coral reef conservation program, and just over $5 million for the “Office of Minority Health.”

“President Trump is committed to utilizing all possible tools to cut wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement shared with Zeale News. “This year, he is continuing his commitment to the American taxpayer by utilizing a pocket rescission for another nearly $1 billion of the most harmful government spending.”