Bipartisan Tibet Aid at Risk After Trump’s Foreign Assistance Overhaul
By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 31 Jan: US President Donald Trump’s global freeze on all US foreign aid for 90 days, one of the executive orders he signed on his first day back in office, and his harsh immigrant policies have caused serious concerns in the Tibetan community in exile and its governing body, the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA), given their major reliance on USAID, despite it being a very small portion of the total US foreign assistance.
So far, there have been no reports of Tibetan immigrants in the US being arrested or deported by ICE(US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). However, due to the ongoing freeze on foreign aid, the $23 million in grants approved by Congress in December 2024 for Tibetan-related programs may face delays or reductions and, in the worst case, a complete blockage.
According to a report by the International Campaign for Tibet, the funding includes $1 million for the Office of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, at least $10 million for NGOs supporting Tibetan cultural preservation, education, and sustainable development, $8 million for programs promoting Tibetan culture and leadership in refugee communities and the Central Tibetan Administration in India and Nepal, and $3 million to strengthen the capacity of the Central Tibetan Administration.
With so much at stake, the Tibetan community faces significant uncertainty. The Tibet Express has reached out to the President of the CTA and the CTA’s spokesperson for clarification and potential mitigation measures but has yet to receive a response.
As such, questions regarding its implications for the CTA, potential mitigation strategies, and USAID’s total contribution to the CTA’s 2024-2025 budget, totalling over Rs. 333 Crore (3,331,022,234), remain unanswered.
CTA President Penpa Tsering, who also serves as Finance Minister of the Tibetan government in exile, is currently at the tail end of his official visit to Tibetan settlements in Northeast India. (19 January – 5 February 2025)
The spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi, Christopher Elms, when asked about how the Directive from the US State Department would affect US Support for Tibetans, said he “can’t speak to any specific programs, but overall, the Secretary of State has initiated a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with US foreign policy under the America First agenda.”
However, the measure can’t be seen as targeted against any group or organisation, as the Trump administration is “reviewing all foreign assistance programs.” The aid for Tibet is among the smallest amounts when compared to other countries receiving aid.
Earlier on Tuesday, minutes before Trump’s aid freeze was to come into effect, US judge Loren Linn Alikhan temporarily paused parts of Trump’s aid freeze following a lawsuit from nonprofit groups that receive federal funds. The judgement applies only to “open awards” or existing funding programs till next Monday when another court hearing is scheduled.
It does not block the Trump administration from freezing funding to new programs, or require it to restart funding that has already ended.
According to Reuters several organizations, including the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance, and SAGE, filed a lawsuit against the directive issued by the acting head of the US Office of Management and Budget. The directive, which had been set to take effect at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Tuesday, aimed to freeze all federal aid.
In a separate legal action, a coalition of attorneys general from 22 mostly Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia also filed a lawsuit in Providence, Rhode Island, seeking to block the funding freeze.
While the funding freeze is being challenged in courts, there is no ruling out the possible effects the Trump administration’s “America First” policy may have on Tibet, which has always enjoyed bipartisan support from the US Congress.