Federal judge blocks Trump’s refugee suspension
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to suspend the U.S. refugee program.
The ruling came in a challenge filed by several refugee resettlement organizations whose lawsuit earlier this month argued that Trump's indefinite suspension of the U.S. refugee program was unlawful and causing irreparable harm.
While a president has substantial authority over the program, that authority "is not limitless," U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Washington State said during a court hearing on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
"I cannot ignore Congress's detailed framework for refugee admissions and the limits it places on the president's ability to suspend the same," he said, ruling after a hearing that a preliminary injunction was warranted given the likelihood of "irreparable harms, including refugees stranded after selling their possessions, agencies laying off hundreds of staff, and family reunifications suspended indefinitely."
After taking office, Trump paused the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to determine if it “aligns with the interests of the United States,” with a report due every 90 days on whether the program should be resumed. Trump said the program should make sure admitted refugees "appropriately assimilate" and that taxpayer funding isn't wasted.
Trump’s move closed the door on many already-vetted and approved refugees, including former Afghan allies who once aided the U.S. and refugee family members waiting to be reunified.
The Trump Administration also froze funding that included money for faith-based U.S. resettlement organizations, crippling their ability to provide services, the lawsuit said. That can include help with housing, job placement and language courses.
The lawsuit, which asked the court to declare Trump’s suspension illegal, enjoin its implementation and restore refugee-related funding, was filed by Church World Service, HIAS, Lutheran Community Services Northwest and nine impacted individuals. Those include a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo whose family sold all of their belongings only to find their flight had been canceled days before they were set to leave.
Deepa Alagesan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, argued that the longer the suspension goes on, the harder it will be to restore refugee resettlement program.
“President Trump cannot overrule the law with the stroke of a pen,” she said at a news conference in Seattle.
Justice Department lawyer August Flentje indicated to the judge that the government would consider whether to file an emergency appeal, the Associated Press reported.
What happens next as the legal challenge plays out is far from clear, said Shawn VanDiver, who heads #AfghanEvac, a coalition assisting Afghan refugees who were former allies of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Restarting resettlements isn't easy. And VanDiver said he isn't sure how the Trump Administration will respond to the ruling.
He pointed to another federal court ruling that ordered the Trump Administration to release some frozen foreign aid funds. The presiding judge said on Tuesday there were few signs it had taken steps to comply. The administration said in court filings it was complying but could still suspend contracts or grants pending review or cancel them for policy reasons, Reuters reported.
"What we’re worried about is they’re just going to ignore this one," VanDiver said. "How the administration chooses to respond to this order will tell us whether or not the Trump Administration stands with veterans and their wartime allies."
Since the 1980 Refugee Act, more than 3 million refugees have been resettled after facing persecution, war or a humanitarian crisis. Supporters say the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which has historically had bipartisan support, represents some of the country’s most vulnerable and vetted immigrants, people who contribute to their new communities.
The ruling in the refugee program lawsuit echoes the legal battle that unfolded in 2017, when federal courts intervened amid a Trump ban targeting refugees from Muslim-majority countries and those seeking family reunification.
During Trump’s first term, he slashed annual refugee admittance caps, set by presidents, to a historic low of about 15,000. That in turn led to funding cuts that hobbled or closed some U.S. resettlement organizations. Former President Joe Biden restored the program that resettled more than 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024, reaching a 30-year high.
Trump Administration attorneys argued that Trump’s Jan. 20 order was well within his authority. And Whitehead acknowledged that the president had substantial discretion under federal law to suspend refugee admissions.
But the judge said the actions amounted to an “effective nullification of congressional will” in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program, according to the Associated Press.
The International Refugee Assistance Project, which helped file the lawsuit, said on social media that the judge would issue a written ruling in the coming days.
Contributing: Reuters
(This story has been updated to add new information.)