WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it could take months to fully comply with a court order reinstating refugee admissions, citing staffing shortages, security vetting changes, and disruptions caused by the president’s executive order suspending the program in January.
In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Seattle, the Justice Department acknowledged significant delays in restarting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The administration said resettlement agencies would need time to rehire furloughed staff, while the State Department must implement new security screening measures.
Additionally, the administration is seeking to hire a new aid group to replace 10 long-standing refugee resettlement organizations whose contracts were abruptly terminated last week. The process is expected to take at least three months, the filing stated.
“As USRAP functions restart, additional areas that require remediation will likely be identified,” the Justice Department wrote.
The status update comes in response to a ruling last month by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead, who blocked the administration from pausing the refugee program for at least three months, ruling that the executive order overstepped presidential authority.
Refugee resettlement groups, whose federal funding was suspended after Trump’s order, sued the administration on behalf of several refugees whose cases were disrupted. The administration has appealed the injunction.
Last week, the resettlement organizations filed an amended complaint, alleging that the State Department violated the court’s order by terminating their contracts. Whitehead scheduled a hearing on the matter and ordered the administration to provide a status report on its compliance efforts.
Refugee advocacy organizations criticized the government’s response, saying it lacked clarity on when the program would be fully restored.
“This report raises more questions than it answers,” said Melissa Keaney, an attorney for the International Refugee Assistance Project. “By the government’s own admission, their suspension of refugee processing and funding has wreaked havoc on the program, leaving them unable to even estimate when it will be fully operational.”
Keaney accused the administration of “flagrant intent to undermine and circumvent the judiciary and Congress.”
According to resettlement groups, none of the nine refugees named in the lawsuit have received communication from the government about rescheduling travel or advancing their cases. The Justice Department said officials contacted the plaintiffs’ attorneys last week to gather additional information and are reviewing the cases.
Despite the delays, the Justice Department said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has resumed reviewing refugee applications, processing 574 cases and approving 478 of them this month. However, resettlement groups noted that approval is only one step in a complex process that includes medical exams, travel arrangements, and cultural orientation seminars before a refugee can enter the United States.
The administration also said it has informed the International Organization for Migration and Church World Service—two agencies that assist with refugee admissions—that their operations will resume once they comply with other Trump administration orders barring federal contractors from implementing diversity initiatives.
Both organizations furloughed staff after the refugee ban was issued in January, and it remains unclear how long it will take to reinstate their workforce.
As legal battles continue, thousands of refugees remain in limbo, awaiting clarity on when they might be able to enter the United States.