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
NYPD cop loses month pay for kneeling on back of Manhattan suspect who yelled ‘I can’t breathe’

NYPD Officer Penalized for Excessive Force: Loses Month’s Pay After ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Incident in Manhattan

An NYPD officer has been docked 30 days’ pay after being found…
Rob Reiner's son Nick appears in court for first time in parents' murder case

Hollywood Scion Nick Reiner Enlists Renowned Defense Lawyer Following Shocking Arrest in Parents’ Murder Case

Defense attorney Alan Jackson has announced that he is representing Nick Reiner,…
Iran executes man convicted of spying for Israeli intelligence

Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spy: Unveiling the High-Stakes Espionage Drama

Over the weekend, Iranian authorities executed a man accused of espionage on…
Officials in Brown Shooting Take Victory Lap, but Response Is Brutal

Backlash Erupts as Officials Celebrate Controversial Verdict in Brown Shooting Case

The manhunt for Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in the tragic Brown…
Palm Coast man sentenced to 30 years for felony child sex charges, police say

Palm Coast Resident Receives 30-Year Sentence for Felony Child Sex Crimes, Authorities Confirm

Following his release, Gregory Smith will be mandated to register as a…
Jacksonville domestic violence incidents highlight uptick often seen during holiday season

Holiday Surge: Unveiling the Alarming Rise in Jacksonville Domestic Violence Cases

This week in Jacksonville, Florida, the community was rocked by two separate…
Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon remember Whitney Houston over 'Waiting to Exhale' 30-year anniversary reunion

Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon Reflect on Whitney Houston’s Legacy at 30th Anniversary Reunion of ‘Waiting to Exhale

LOS ANGELES — A beloved classic reaches a significant milestone as “Waiting…
ISIS, Iran escalating global campaign against Jews, Israel spy chief says

Global Threat Alert: Iran & ISIS Intensify Anti-Jewish Campaign, Warns Israel’s Top Spy

Israel’s chief of national intelligence has issued a stark warning, highlighting the…
Israeli diaspora minister says Australia should have seen 'writing on the wall' before terror attack

Israeli Minister Urges Australia to Heed Warning Signs Before Terror Attacks: A Call for Global Vigilance

Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, expressed that…
Zohran Mamdani Criticized for ‘Staged’ Hanukkah Clip with Actor Mandy Patinkin

Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash Over Allegedly ‘Staged’ Hanukkah Video Featuring Actor Mandy Patinkin

The recent Hanukkah video featuring Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani alongside actor Mandy Patinkin…
RICHARD JOHNSON: Meghan Markle afraid to visit ailing father due to paparazzi

Meghan Markle Reluctant to Visit Ill Father Amidst Paparazzi Concerns, Reports Suggest

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, wishes to see her father, who…
Fisherman survives near-fatal shark attack with own lifesaving care, instincts that kept him alive

Heroic Fisherman Defies Odds: Survives Near-Fatal Shark Attack Using Remarkable Self-Rescue Techniques

A fisherman from Hawaii is recounting his harrowing ordeal after a life-threatening…