A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration’s suspension of the United States’ refugee program, siding with resettlement groups who challenged the president’s Day One order.
Following a hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead ruled that President Trump’s actions amount to a “effective nullification of congressional will” in establishing the country’s refugee admissions program.
“The president has significant discretion… to suspend refugee admissions,” Whitehead informed the parties. “But that authority is not limitless.”
The bench decision grants a request for a preliminary injunction against the executive order.
Trump’s order halted the processing of those fleeing persecution and danger for 90 days while administration officials determine whether accepting refugees is “in the interests of the United States,” leaving it up to the president to decide when to do so.
The suit was filed on behalf of Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and HIAS, formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and challenged not only the suspension but also the abrupt termination of funding to organizations that assist refugees. This includes refugees who had already arrived in the United States under the Biden administration.
Nine refugees are also listed as plaintiffs in the suit, representing those cut off from accessing the program. This group includes many refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Even before the order went into effect, the State Department suspended refugee flights, saying it was “coordinating with implementing partners to suspend refugee arrivals to the United States and cease processing activities.”
In a similar case brought by Catholic bishops, a federal judge last week declined to reinstate refugee funding.
