Trump sued over order suspending refugee admissions

A coalition of refugee resettlement organizations sued President Trump on Monday over an executive order from the first day of his administration that indefinitely suspends the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP).

The suit challenges not just the suspension but the abrupt cutoff of funding to those that aid refugees, including for work done in advance of Trump taking office.

Trump’s order bars processing of those fleeing persecution and danger for 90 days as administration officials study whether accepting refugees is “in the interests of the United States,” leaving it to the president to determine when to do so.

“President Trump cannot override the will of Congress with the stroke of a pen,” said Melissa Keaney, an attorney with International Refugee Assistance Project, which is representing the resettlement groups, in a statement.

“The United States has a moral and legal obligation to protect refugees, and the longer this illegal suspension continues, the more dire the consequences will be. Refugees and the families and communities waiting to welcome them have been thrown into indefinite limbo and the resettlement agencies ready to serve them don’t know if they can keep the lights on if the government continues to withhold critical funding. This could decimate the USRAP, carrying consequences for years to come.”

The suit was filed on behalf of Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and HIAS, formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

“The American Jewish community owes its very existence to those times when the United States opened its doors to refugees fleeing anti-Semitism and persecution,” said Mark Hetfield, HIAS’s president, in a statement.

“HIAS will stand for welcome, stand up for what we believe in, and fight this refugee ban in court."

Nine refugees are also listed as plaintiffs in the suit, representing those cut off from accessing the program, a group that includes many refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan

The suit argues the suspension violates numerous laws, including the U.S. Refugee Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. It also argues Trump has circumvented the Constitution’s mandate on the separation of powers.

The suit also challenges Trump’s withholding of funds to the organizations which is spent on helping refugees get established in the United States.

“National faith-based nonprofit organizations that receive a majority of their funding from the federal government—are already struggling to keep their lights on and their staff employed, let alone continue to serve the vulnerable refugees at the core of their missions,” they wrote in the suit.

“Since receiving the Suspension Notices, the Plaintiff Resettlement Agencies have not received reimbursements for millions of dollars they are owed from the State Department for work performed in November and December 2024, well before the Suspension Notices and the Foreign Aid Executive Order issued.”

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