Judge says Trump administration can't use travel ban to keep 80 refugees out of the US
Share this @internewscast.com

A federal judge has prohibited the Trump administration from applying its travel ban to prevent 80 already-vetted refugees from entering the United States.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle ruled that President Donald Trump’s June order, which bans people from 12 countries from entering the U.S., “expressly states” that it does not affect individuals seeking refugee status.

This order, named “Proclamation 10949—Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” includes a clause specifying that its provisions should not be interpreted to restrict an individual’s ability to pursue asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT, in accordance with U.S. laws.

In his ruling, Whitehead said “by its plain terms, the Proclamation excludes refugees from its scope.”

Barring refugees from entering the U.S. would limit their ability to seek refugee status and therefore run counter to the Republican president’s order, the judge added.

He ordered the administration to immediately resume processing 80 “presumptively protected refugees” that were rejected based on the travel ban.

The State Department did not immediately have comment Tuesday.

Whitehead also laid out a process for the government to vet refugees from the countries covered by the travel ban and other countries who were denied entry when the president suspended the nation’s refugee admissions program within hours of taking office on Jan. 20.

The decision left thousands of refugees who had already gone through a sometimes years-long vetting process to start new lives in America stranded at various locations around the world, including relatives of active-duty U.S. military personnel and more than 1,600 Afghans who assisted America’s war efforts.

Under a framework established by an appellate court, those refugees should be admitted if they had previously been cleared for travel to the U.S., had arranged and confirmable travel plans and had taken steps such as selling property or giving up their home that showed a reliance on the U.S. government’s assurance of their refugee status.

The administration has previously said 12,000 people had been approved and booked for travel as refugees before it suspended the refugee program. Many of those cases will now have to be examined individually to see whether they meet the appeals court’s criteria for entry.

The lawsuit Whitehead is overseeing was filed in February by some individual refugees along with refugee aid organizations who said the administration froze their funding. The plaintiffs later asked the judge to make the case a class-action lawsuit so that the rulings could apply to other refugees facing similar circumstances.

Whitehead said the suspension likely amounted to a nullification of congressional will, since Congress created and funded the refugee admissions program. He issued a preliminary injunction barring the federal government from suspending refugee processing and refugee aid funding.

But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put most of that decision on hold in March, finding the administration was likely to win the case because the president has broad authority to determine who is allowed to enter the country. The appeals court later set out the criteria for admitting some of the refugees.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Immigration judge denies Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s bid for asylum, but he has 30 days to appeal

Judge Rejects Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Asylum Request, He Has 30 Days to File an Appeal

A U.S. immigration judge on Wednesday denied a bid for asylum from…
Chicago immigration raids: Family 'unlawfully' detained by ICE at Millennium Park now separated, court filing argues

Chicago Immigration Raid: Court Documents Allege Family Detained ‘Illegally’ by ICE at Millennium Park Now Divided

CHICAGO (WLS) — The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) has taken legal…
BMW recalls over 145,000 vehicles for fire risk

BMW Issues Recall for Over 145,000 Vehicles Due to Fire Hazard

BMW is recalling more than 145,000 vehicles due to starter motor overheating…
Manchester Mosque Hires Sharia Law Administrator

Manchester Mosque Appoints Sharia Law Coordinator

England is quietly becoming the Western capital of Sharia law courts —…
Trial day 2 explores evidence in Prince Holland case

Second Day of Hearings Delves into Prince Holland Case Evidence

Jurors were shown of crime scene photos, walked through bullet-ridden evidence and…
South Carolina AG demands death penalty against career criminal charged in college student’s murder

South Carolina Attorney General Calls for Death Penalty for Repeat Offender Accused of Killing College Student

South Carolina’s attorney general is urging a local prosecutor to pursue the…
Enough Talk, Time for Muscle: Why Pete Hegseth’s Military Overhaul Is the Reset We Need

Time for Action: Why Pete Hegseth’s Military Reforms Are Essential

By nature, I am serene and pastoral, spending my time working to…

Jacksonville Mother Pursues Justice Following Daughter’s Tragic Hit-and-Run Death

Shardae Webber demands justice after a vehicle struck and killed her 13-year-old…
Jeanette Olivo not guilty by reason of insanity in stabbing of dog on Chicago's Northwest Side in 2022, police say

Chicago Incident: Jeanette Olivo Found Not Guilty in 2022 Dog Stabbing Due to Insanity Defense

CHICAGO (WLS) — A woman was found not guilty by reason of…
Student uproar erupts at elite college after professor put on leave over ties to far-left gun club

Elite College in Turmoil as Professor’s Suspension Linked to Far-Left Gun Club Sparks Student Protests

The community at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gathered…
Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and political punishment

Trump Utilizes Government Shutdown to Issue Terminations and Political Reprimands

President Donald Trump has taken advantage of the government shutdown as a…
Hispanic Heritage Month: Chicago fire station transformed into Yollocalli art museum in Little Village

Hispanic Heritage Month: Chicago Fire Station Converted into Yollocalli Art Museum in Little Village

CHICAGO (WLS) — A former fire station in Chicago has been transformed…