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
'Armed and dangerous' inmate escapes Atlanta hospital, steals gun and SUV: police

Inmate Considered ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Escapes Atlanta Hospital, Seizes Firearm and SUV: Police Report

Authorities have issued a warning about an inmate deemed “armed and dangerous”…
Trump dismisses affordability concerns as Democratic ‘con job’

Trump Slams Democrats Over ‘Con Job’ Claims on Economic Affordability

On Tuesday, President Trump dismissed the notion of affordability as a “con…
Brian Walshe defense says he found wife dead in bed, denies uncovering affair as murder trial begins

Brian Walshe’s Defense Claims Wife’s Death Was Not Murder Amidst Affair Allegations as Trial Commences

The trial for a Massachusetts man, previously found guilty of fraud, who…
gif of holiday ad promoting CBP Home App

Unveiling DHS’s Retro 90s ‘Cyber Monday’ Incentive: Earn $1,000 for Voluntary Self-Deportation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a unique holiday initiative,…
Teen with dreams of lion taming mauled to death after climbing into enclosure at zoo

Tragic End for Aspiring Lion Tamer: Teen Fatally Attacked in Zoo Enclosure

A tragic incident unfolded in Brazil when a 19-year-old was fatally attacked…
Hegseth Replaces Two More Senior Pentagon Generals As He Continues to Reshape the Military Hierarchy

Pete Hegseth’s Drug Boat Strike Story Faces New Scrutiny: Unraveling the Truth Behind the Headlines

Recently, there’s been a growing discussion about an alleged “second strike” on…
'Very alarming': Man partially paralyzed after Murray Hill shooting, advocates call it a hate crime

Community Outrage as Murray Hill Shooting Leaves Man Partially Paralyzed, Sparks Hate Crime Debate

Recent court filings have brought to light the use of anti-LGBTQ+ slurs…
Lawsuit over excessive use of force against protesters, press by DHS under 'Midway Blitz' dropped after feds leave

Federal Lawsuit Alleging Excessive Force by DHS During ‘Midway Blitz’ Protests Dismissed Following Federal Withdrawal

CHICAGO — Protesters and journalists have decided to drop their lawsuit against…
Court must end hostility against pregnancy centers

Court Urged to Address Discrimination Against Pregnancy Centers

In recent years, certain state attorneys general, including New York’s Letitia James…
Surveillance video shows brazen heist at high-end boutique in New York City

Shocking Heist Caught on Camera: High-End NYC Boutique Targeted in Daring Theft

NEW YORK — Authorities are on the hunt for the culprits behind…
Palantir and Dataminr Cash In on Gaza with AI Surveillance

Profiting from Conflict: How Palantir and Dataminr Leverage AI Surveillance in Gaza

American surveillance firms Palantir and Dataminr have inserted themselves into the U.S.…
Pete Hegseth: ‘We’ve Only Just Begun Striking Narco Boats’

Pete Hegseth Announces Ongoing Offensive Against Narco Boats: A New Era in Drug Trafficking Combat

In a bold statement on Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced…