Refugees and resettlement agencies have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s recent suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington Monday, alleges that the suspension is unlawful and causes irreparable harm to refugees and their families.
The plaintiffs include nine individual refugees, two national resettlement agencies (HIAS and Church World Service), and one local affiliate (Lutheran Community Services Northwest).
The lawsuit claims that the suspension violates the Refugee Act of 1980, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.
The plaintiffs seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction to block the suspension and restore the USRAP.
They argue that the suspension is causing immediate and irreparable harm to refugees, who are being denied entry into the United States and access to essential services.
The lawsuit also alleges that the suspension is disrupting the work of resettlement agencies, which are facing “imminent closure” due to the loss of federal funding.
The agencies play a vital role in helping refugees resettle in the United States, providing them with housing, food, and other essential services.
The Trump administration has repeatedly attempted to restrict refugee admissions, but federal courts have blocked those efforts.