WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is attempting to weaken a federal court ruling that ordered the resumption of refugee admissions, including for Afghan allies of the United States, according to Shawn VanDiver, the head of AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans, refugee advocates, and military personnel working on Afghan resettlement.
VanDiver said in a post on X that President Donald Trump’s policies have left “thousands of Afghan allies and other vulnerable refugees in limbo.”
A federal judge had previously blocked Trump’s executive order suspending refugee resettlement, ruling that it unlawfully halted the admissions process—particularly for Afghan refugees who had worked alongside U.S. forces. The court ordered the government to restart the program.
However, advocacy groups warn that the administration is resisting efforts to comply with the ruling.
Meanwhile, the advocacy group No One Left Behind reported that the House Rules Committee removed two key provisions from a continuing resolution (CR) bill:
20,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) designated for Afghan allies.
A two-year extension of the SIV program.
The group noted that SIV applicants have already undergone rigorous background checks to verify their service and commitment to U.S. national security interests.
“This decision is a setback for Afghan refugee advocates,” the organization said in a statement, “but we remain committed to fighting for those who stood by the United States.”
The developments come as thousands of Afghan allies—who risked their lives supporting U.S. forces—continue to await resettlement amid legal and political uncertainty.
This comes as 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.
