Trump Administration Reviews NGO Funding

The Trump administration is scrutinizing how various organizations, including The TransLatin@ Coalition, utilize taxpayer funds, as indicated by recent budgetary inquiries.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has mandated that federal agencies detail all financial support given to 49 non-governmental organizations covering the fiscal years from 2024 to 2026, with a deadline set for May 29. A memo dated May 13 outlines that OMB officials will evaluate these responses on June 5.

“The agency’s feedback should encompass the total amount of all grants, including those later allocated as subcontracts or given to other entities, along with cooperative agreements, loans, contracts, and other financial awards,” the budget request specifies.

Organizations named in this initiative also include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Aspen Institute, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Tides Center, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and the Minneapolis Foundation.

Aspen Institute representatives noted that they have not been asked for any information and emphasized that their funding largely does not stem from federal sources.

No other organizations mentioned immediately provided comments regarding this inquiry.

The SPLC claims to be a “catalyst for racial justice,” although it has faced scrutiny in the past for allegedly channeling funds to informants within extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

In 2024, the Tides Center and its affiliates reportedly received around $38 million in federal support, primarily directed toward issues such as abortion rights and gender reassignment procedures.

Moreover, some of the listed organizations are active in resettling Somali refugees in Minnesota, which has been a point of contention with the Trump administration’s policies on immigration.

Overall, communities and partners have historically aided refugee resettlement efforts in Minnesota amid critiques of various administrations’ policies.