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
Abraham Quintanilla Jr., father of Selena, dies at 86

Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Beloved Father of Iconic Singer Selena, Passes Away at 86

Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., the influential father of the late Tejano superstar…
US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension

US Fighter Jets Make Historic Deployment to Gulf of Venezuela as Tensions Escalate

In a significant move, the United States sent two fighter jets over…
Palmdale Street shooting on Jacksonville's Northwest side leaves man dead

Tragic Turn: Teenager Dead, Two Injured in Sandalwood After Drug Deal Goes Awry

A tragic sequence of events unfolded in Jacksonville’s Sandalwood neighborhood on Friday…
Mike Lupica: Mets and Yankees apparently have nothing better to do than fight over Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger Sparks Rivalry Between Mets and Yankees as Teams Compete for His Signature

In the fast-paced realm of New York City’s baseball scene, Cody Bellinger…
Readers sound off on aid for landlords, departing Mets stars and a seized oil tanker

Debate Ignites Over Landlord Assistance, Mets Star Exits, and Seized Oil Tanker Drama

With a little help, private landlords can do it Staten Island: In…
2 US Army soldiers, interpreter killed in Syria ambush attack, Trump warns of 'very serious retaliation'

Tragic Syria Ambush Claims Lives of 2 US Soldiers and Interpreter, Sparks Trump’s Warning of Strong Retaliation

On Saturday, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning of “very serious…
Chicago wind chill warning: Cold Weather Advisory issued as Chicago weather forecast calls for snow, dangerous temps this weekend

Brace Yourself: Chicago Faces Bone-Chilling Wind Chill and Snowy Weekend in New Weather Alert

CHICAGO (WLS) — Prepare for a snowy and freezing weekend as severe…
Blackburn Defends Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tanker: 'Enforcing Sanctions'

Blackburn Justifies Venezuelan Oil Tanker Seizure as a Measure of Sanctions Enforcement

Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has come forward to defend the recent…
North Carolina Christmas tree farmers resurge a year after Helene's devastation

North Carolina Christmas Tree Farmers Bounce Back Stronger Post-Hurricane Helene Devastation

Christmas tree farmers resurge after Helene In September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene…
Social media star Brie Bird dies at age 9 following stage 4 cancer battle

Heartbreaking Loss: Beloved 9-Year-Old Social Media Sensation Brie Bird Passes After Courageous Cancer Fight

The vibrant spirit of Brie Bird has been extinguished far too soon,…
Skydiver survives after reserve parachute accidentally deploys, leaving him dangling from flying airplane

Skydiver’s Astonishing Survival: Reserve Parachute Mishap Leaves Him Hanging from Plane

A skydiver had a close call when his reserve parachute unexpectedly deployed…
Hamas Reprisals: Terror Group Accused of Killing Pregnant Woman, 5-Year-Old in Gaza

Israeli Forces Neutralize Key Hamas Weapons Leader Linked to October 7 Attacks

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a targeted airstrike in…