United States: Judge suspends Donald Trump's decision to halt refugee admissions
Upon his inauguration, the American president signed a series of executive orders, including one halting refugee arrivals in the United States. It is now suspended until the case is heard on its merits, or an appeals court takes up the matter.
A US judge has blocked Donald Trump 's executive order halting refugee admissions to the United States, dealing a new legal setback to the president's sweeping anti-immigration offensive, US media reported Tuesday. Upon his return to the White House in late January, the Republican billionaire signed a series of executive orders, including one suspending refugee arrivals to the United States.
The presidential decree said the long-running refugee admissions program in the United States was "detrimental to the interests" of the country. In the process, the Trump administration froze funding for organizations involved in the program. But a federal judge in Seattle blocked the decree from being implemented Tuesday, ruling it illegal, according to the Seattle Times . It is now on hold until the case is decided on its merits or an appeals court takes up the case.
The lawsuit was filed by three U.S. refugee organizations protesting the abrupt end to the program, which they say forced many people with plane tickets to remain in dangerous areas. The United States has been welcoming refugees for decades, through a program that provides one of the few pathways to U.S. citizenship.
The previous administration of Joe Biden made welcoming refugees a priority. In fiscal year 2024, some 100,000 refugees resettled in the United States, the highest number in three decades, according to official figures. These refugees come from countries in conflict, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and Sudan.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are some 37.9 million refugees worldwide, out of 122.6 million displaced people. Since his return to power, Donald Trump has implemented a vast anti-immigration offensive , in line with his campaign promises. His administration is organizing highly publicized expulsions, with military flights transporting people in handcuffs to Latin American countries.
The president also tried to roll back birthright citizenship, a principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that has been in effect in the United States for more than 150 years, by executive order. But that decision was blocked by several federal judges , potentially sparking a lengthy battle that could go all the way to the conservative-majority Supreme Court.
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