WASHINGTON — A coalition of refugee advocacy groups in the United States filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging President Donald Trump’s suspension of the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., argues that Trump overstepped his authority by abruptly shutting down the refugee program and freezing funding for refugee assistance programs. The plaintiffs claim that the decision has caused irreparable harm to refugees and their families.
The lawsuit urges the court to restore the United States’ long-standing commitment to offering protection to people fleeing persecution and violence.
One of Trump’s first executive orders after taking office halted foreign aid and refugee admissions, leaving tens of thousands of Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces in limbo. Many had applied for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) but now face an uncertain future.
Under the executive order, Trump directed the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to review the refugee admissions process and submit a report within 90 days to determine whether the program should resume.
The sudden freeze canceled travel for thousands of refugees, including 1,660 Afghans who had been approved for resettlement in the United States.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of nine refugees and family members already in the U.S., including a Congolese family whose resettlement was abruptly canceled just days before their scheduled arrival on January 22.
According to the filing, the family, who had been living in Nairobi, Kenya, sold nearly all of their belongings and gave up their housing lease, expecting to travel to the United States.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces over the past two decades now find themselves stranded, fearing Taliban reprisals, threats, imprisonment, and even death as the resettlement process remains suspended.
The lawsuit also challenges Trump’s broader suspension of funding for U.S.-based organizations that assist refugees, arguing that the move further compounds the crisis for those seeking safety in the United States.
