Trump could pull the plug on the U.N. agency protecting millions of refugees

The Trump administration has weighed cutting ties with the U.N. refugee agency, prompting an urgent lobbying campaign by diplomats and aid groups to preserve one of the agency's biggest sources of funding, according to eight people familiar with the discussions.The sources, including diplomats, aid workers and a congressional insider, told Reuters the administration has considered withdrawing support for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. A decision had been expected last week but never came, raising hopes that behind-the-scenes lobbying may have delayed or prevented the move.The Trump administration has, in ​recent weeks, weighed cutting ties with the U.N. refugee agency (Getty)The discussions stem from a dispute over the appointment of the agency's deputy high commissioner, five sources said.UNHCR has warned supporters it could be placed on a U.S. blacklist, cutting off funding, and that Washington could also leave the agency's governing Executive Committee, according to diplomats and aid officials. Such a move would be a major blow to the agency, which is already grappling with funding shortages as wars in Ukraine and Sudan drive global displacement to near-record levels.Rohingya refugees works to rescue victims from a landslide spot at a Rohingya Refugee Camp following continuous torrential rain, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, July 8, 2026 (Reuters)"People have been alerted by UNHCR to call friends in the administration," one aid group source involved in the discussions told Reuters. "They are at least thinking about it."Another diplomat said UNHCR officials had urged allies to use every available diplomatic channel to press Washington to remain engaged.A State Department spokesperson said there have been no changes to U.S. engagement with UNHCR.A State Department spokesperson said there have been no changes to U.S. engagement with UNHCR (Reuters)"As with many other international organizations, we work with and through UNHCR when doing so is useful to advance U.S. foreign policy interests or save lives," the spokesperson said, adding that the administration continues to review U.S. participation in international organizations under a February 2025 executive order.Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has cut funding to several U.N. agencies and withdrawn the United States from organizations including the World Health Organization. His administration has also encouraged other countries to roll back asylum protections.According to five sources, the dispute centers on last month's appointment of career U.S. diplomat Tressa Rae Finerty as UNHCR's deputy high commissioner. Simon Hankinson, a U.S.-backed candidate for UNHCR's deputy high commissioner, has accused UNHCR of pursuing "a mass migration agenda” (Getty)U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih selected Finerty instead of Simon Hankinson, a U.S.-backed candidate who has accused UNHCR of pursuing "a mass migration agenda.""If they wanted reform, a return to UNHCR's original mission of helping actual refugees, and a careful inspection of budgets and spending, I was the guy," Hankinson told Reuters.UNHCR declined to comment. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization had "no information" on the reported U.S. deliberations.The United States contributed $868 million to UNHCR in 2025, about one-quarter of the agency's total funding. Reuters previously reported the agency's funding fell by about 30% from 2024 levels, forcing thousands of job cuts.Diplomats and aid officials warned that a U.S. withdrawal would deepen the financial crisis and threaten the post-World War II refugee system built around the 1951 Refugee Convention."Rethinking it would be an existential threat for UNHCR," a former senior UNHCR official told Reuters. "It could have a massive knock-on effect."