A federal judge will soon rule whether refugees can be included in a travel ban enacted by the Trump administration that bars nationals from several countries.
President Donald Trump completely shut down refugee admissions and funding just after taking office in January.
Aid groups, sponsors and refugees filed suit, arguing the president doesn’t have the authority to end a program created by Congress.
A federal court ordered the administration to begin processing refugees again while the case progressed, including those whose travel plans had been disrupted by the January freeze.
But in June, Trump’s travel ban completely barred U.S. entry for a dozen nationalities, and partially barred several more.
Attorney Jonathan Hawley, who represents the plaintiffs, said the government has been slow to begin processing again. Now, the ban could impact about two-thirds of the 120 refugees who have been processed and are now awaiting U.S. entry.
“Refugees, as we have discussed previously and as the court has noted, are among the most carefully screened and vetted individuals in the U.S. immigration infrastructure. So refugees are not visa holders, and none of the rational stated in the travel ban could possibly apply,” he said.
Hawley said the word "visa" is mentioned some 60 times in the June 4 proclamation, and he pointed to a section of the document that states that “nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT, consistent with the laws of the United States.”
Government attorneys argued resettlement has restarted but the ban could apply to refugees if they’re outside the U.S.
District Court judge Judge Jamal Whitehead is expected to make a partial ruling later this week.
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Two more ICE facilities in Arizona are keeping some detainees quarantined for possible measles exposure after a third facility reported multiple cases of the extremely contagious virus. -
Mexico will request criminal charges over 17 Mexicans who died in ICE custody or during immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration, officials said Thursday. -
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government will “go further” than prior diplomatic notes and calls for investigations as the number of Mexican nationals killed by U.S. immigration officers or dying in custody increases. -
Surprise residents who were angry about the federal government turning a local warehouse into an immigration detention center can take a sigh of relief this week. -
ICE secured private office space, which did not require local approval. ICE told the city the purpose of the office is to expand enforcement efforts across the state, according to a statement from the city.
