President Donald Trump ordered the cancellation of 810 million dollars in federal funds approved by Congress, in a new offensive by his administration to reduce spending that it considers unnecessary, duplicated, or incompatible with its government priorities.
The measure, communicated this Friday to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, involves the elimination of 11 budget items that remained unspent in seven federal departments and agencies. The White House applied a figure known as ''pocket rescission'', which allows for the proposed cancellation of funds when there is so little time left in the fiscal year that the decision can take effect before Congress has the opportunity to block it.
The announcement came just five days before the end of the fiscal year, scheduled for September 30. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified programs whose resources are no longer necessary or do not align with the policies promoted by Trump.
The Donald Trump administration ordered the cancellation of millions of dollars allocated to programs focused on illegal immigrants and racial diversity
The largest cut corresponds to 567 million dollars allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund social services for illegal immigrants, including programs administered through non-governmental organizations. The administration believes that these funds are no longer necessary due to the significant reduction in illegal border crossings over the past year.
The government also questioned some organizations that had received resources from that program, citing controversies related to their political ties and allegations regarding the oversight of certain services.
Another 70 million dollars correspond to grants and scholarships for foreign scholars and students in the United States. Part of these resources had raised questions among conservative sectors due to their use in projects related to transgender issues.
A large portion of the money that the Trump administration cut was intended for programs supporting illegal immigrants
The Trump administration also canceled 56 million dollars intended for a program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for external organizations that provide housing counseling. The White House questioned that part of these resources had ended up supporting agendas related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and racial advocacy organizations.
Another 28 million dollars were withdrawn from HHS grants that the administration deemed unnecessary, duplicated, or ideologically driven. The details of the affected programs were not specified.
At the Department of Education, Trump eliminated 25 million dollars from an initiative for migrant students. The administration questioned beneficiary organizations for activities that could encourage participants to avoid law enforcement.
In the Department of Education, the Republican administration implemented a cut of 25 million dollars
The cut also affects programs related to immigration, race, and community services. The Department of Justice will lose 15 million dollars allocated to Community Relations Services, an office focused on racial relations that had practically ceased operations. Another 15 million will be withdrawn from a program of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that funded cultural orientation, medical care, and legal counseling for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
Among the smaller items are 10 million dollars from the Minority Business Development Agency, whose programs provide grants based on the race of the beneficiaries; another 10 million from a DHS program for legal services aimed at illegal immigrants and 5 million from the HHS Office of Minority Health.
Trump also canceled 9 million dollars from the Department of the Treasury intended for the tropical forest and coral reef conservation program, which provided debt relief to countries in exchange for measures related to combating climate change.
The decision expands the use of budget rescission powers that Trump had previously employed. In 2025, his administration sought to cancel nearly 5 billion dollars in foreign aid, in the first ''pocket rescission'' since 1977. Subsequently, the Supreme Court allowed the government to proceed with that measure through a 6-3 vote, in a ruling related to presidential powers over foreign policy.
The Trump administration will seek one of the largest budget cuts for programs aimed at illegal immigration, diversity, and gender
