Several U.S. refugee resettlement organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s indefinite suspension of the U.S. refugee program. They argue that the suspension is unlawful and causing irreparable harm to already-vetted refugees, including former Afghan allies and family members waiting to be reunified. The lawsuit also claims that the suspension has stopped federal funding for faith-based U.S. resettlement organizations, impacting their ability to provide essential services to refugees such as housing, job placement, and language courses.
The organizations, including Church World Service, HIAS, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest, are asking the court to declare Trump’s suspension illegal, enjoin its implementation, and restore refugee-related funding. They argue that the program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support and has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1980, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.
The legal battle mirrors the one that occurred in 2017 when federal courts intervened in a Trump ban targeting refugees from Muslim-majority countries. During Trump’s first term, annual refugee admittance caps were slashed to a historic low of about 15,000, leading to funding cuts for U.S. resettlement organizations. Former President Joe Biden has since restored the program, resettling more than 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024, reaching a 30-year high.
Advocates argue that refugees admitted under the program are some of the country’s most vetted immigrants, undergoing extensive security checks, medical exams, and interviews before resettlement. They also note that a federal study found that refugees have contributed over $123 billion more to the government over a 15-year period than they have cost. The lawsuit aims to resume federal funding for refugee resettlement organizations, which are struggling to continue serving vulnerable refugees under Trump’s changes.
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