Christian charities received $62M for Somali resettlement in Minnesota

Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services (now known as Global Refuge) have received at least $62 million in government funding to resettle Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Since 1993, these two organizations have resettled an estimated 29,000 Somalians into the state, receiving approximately $2,500 per refugee to cover expenses such as housing, food, social workers, and legal assistance.

Reports indicate that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which oversees Catholic Charities, has received $140 million in federal migrant resettlement contracts since 2021. While these organizations historically focused on resettling Christians displaced after World War II using private donations, they have increasingly relied on government subsidies for recent resettlement operations.

The Somali population in Minnesota has grown to over 100,000, aided by chain migration and the state’s social safety net programs. Critics have linked the scale of resettlement and the influx of migrants to various social and legal challenges within the region.