McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) – A nonprofit that represents refugees has filed a court document in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump who has suspended refugee admissions into the United States.
The Refugee Council USA, represented by Democracy Forward, on Tuesday filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Pacito v Trump, urging that the court uphold legal protections for refugees.
The case challenges Trump’s executive order barring refugee resettlement in the United States under a refugee ban he implemented in January.
Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program on his first day in office of his second term stating “over the last 4 years, the United States has been inundated with record levels of migration, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).”
“The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans,” Trump said upon issuing the order.
Travel has been halted for all refugees including thousands who had been vetted by the U.S. government and previously approved to come to the United States.
The Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) says it’s unsafe for many refugees who are now stuck in “limbo.”
“Many refugees are not qualified to resettle in countries other than the United States, including, for example, those who are unaccompanied minors and those who are refugees precisely because of their cooperation or engagement with the U.S. government. Additionally, the abrupt nature of the challenged Executive Orders has separated many refugee families, with some family members resettled in the United States and others left in limbo,” the organization wrote in the brief to the court, which was obtained Wednesday by Border Report.
“The refugee ban is not just a policy reversal, it’s a betrayal of America’s humanitarian commitments and legal obligations. Through this amicus brief in Pacito v. Trump, we urge the Ninth Circuit to restart our refugee system and ensure that it remains rooted in fairness, due process, and compassion,” RCUSA Executive Director John Slocum said in a statement.
“We are honored to join in this effort to hold this administration accountable for their lawlessness that continues putting people’s lives at risk,” Democracy Forward CEO and President Skye Perryman said.
From 1975 through 2024, over 3.6 million people have been resettled via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The United States accepted approximately 200,000 refugees fleeing the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s – more than any other country in the world, according to the brief.
Worldwide, there are an estimated 122 million people who have been forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
An estimated 3 million are in need of third-country resettlement, like in the United States, the court brief says.
A cap at 125,000 refugee admissions into the United States had been set for Fiscal Year 2025 prior to Trump taking office.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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