Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration’s Move to Defund and Suspend Refugee Programs
The judge noted that while the president possesses significant executive power regarding refugees, he has overstepped his authority.
A federal judge in Seattle has issued a ruling against an executive order by President Donald Trump that temporarily halted international refugee resettlement processing and cut funding for the agencies involved in these services.
“Certainly, the president has considerable discretion … to suspend refugee admissions, but that authority is not infinite,” District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead remarked during a hearing on February 25.
Whitehead explained that his decision was influenced by the damage inflicted on the plaintiffs, including the closure of refugee agencies and the challenges faced by individuals whose immigration plans to the United States were abruptly disrupted due to the executive order.
He further stated that the order effectively “disregarded the intentions of Congress” by preventing the disbursement of funds designated for those programs.
A coalition of immigrants from various countries filed a lawsuit against Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy A. Fink.
Whitehead mentioned that he had thoroughly examined prehearing submissions from both parties in the case, but wished to hear oral arguments “to validate” his evaluation.
Related Stories
Without taking a break for further consideration, he ruled to suspend the refugee resettlement pause, ensuring that a detailed written decision will follow shortly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
