Refugee Groups: Trump Bypassing Court Ruling

In a recent legal filing, organizations assisting refugees expressed concerns that the Trump administration may be trying to circumvent a Seattle judge’s recent ruling. This decision hindered the administration’s initiative to freeze the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
The judge, Jamal Whitehead, appointed in 2023, had declared on Tuesday that while Presidential authority extends to controlling entry into the country, such power doesn’t override congressional acts defining refugee admissions. Whitehead ruled that Trump’s actions effectively nullified existing legislative intent. The judge responded to the aid groups’ legal motion by temporarily halting Trump’s executive order that aimed to suspend the refugee program, pledging to issue a more comprehensive written opinion shortly.
However, by Wednesday, groups such as Church World Service and the Jewish resettlement agency HIAS reported that their cooperative agreements with the State Department were abruptly terminated. The aid organizations have now requested an urgent hearing with Judge Whitehead, seeking clarification on the status of the termination notices and to urge that his preliminary injunction should encompass these new administrative actions. They argued that these actions by the government were attempts to sidestep the court’s ruling.
According to a motion submitted by the groups, there is an immediate need for legal intervention to ensure the administration does not exploit loopholes to dodge the court’s decision. The judge scheduled a hearing for Monday to address these concerns.
The State Department, although acknowledging receipt of the AP’s inquiry, didn’t provide further comments. The termination notices cited that the end of agreements with resettlement agencies was based on directives from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aligning with agency priorities and national interests.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, established by Congress in 1980, offers legal migration opportunities to individuals who are displaced due to conflicts, natural calamities, or persecution. This program requires extensive vetting, distinct from the asylum process where entrants seek permission to stay based on fears of persecution back home.
Despite bipartisan consensus over refugee admissions historically, the program has recently faced political contention. Trump previously paused the program in his first term, followed by significant reductions in the number of refugees permitted entry.
Approximately 600,000 individuals are currently undergoing processing for U.S. resettlement globally. Actions from Trump’s camp resulted in financial restrictions, leaving previously approved refugees in limbo, compelling aid groups to downsize, and ending short-term assistance like housing support for newly resettled individuals.
Parallelly, the Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court against a separate court directive demanding it release substantial halted foreign aid funds. Plans were also unveiled to nullify over 90% of USAID’s international assistance contracts and $60 billion of U.S. aid globally.
Shawn VanDiver of #AfghanEvac highlighted that contract terminations jeopardize Afghans who collaborated extensively with the U.S. during its lengthy military presence in Afghanistan. These individuals relied on both refugee and special immigrant visa programs for relocation to the U.S.
Though the special immigrant visa program remains operational, stripped contracts mean diminished support for those eligible to migrate to the U.S. and start fresh lives.
“Now Afghans are on their own to get here,” VanDiver remarked, signaling the gravity of the situation. He equated the decision’s impact to the turbulent U.S. withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021, suggesting a sense of betrayal and abandonment.