By Katie Daviscourt – The Postmillennial
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Seattle blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing the nation’s refugee admissions system. The judge ruled that the president has the power to determine who is allowed to enter the country, but he is unable to invalidate the law enacted by Congress that established the program.
US District Judge Jamal Whitehead told the Court after hearing oral arguments that the president’s actions constituted an “effective nullification of congressional will.” The AP reported that Judge Whitehead will provide a written opinion in the coming days.
The executive order titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program” ordered a 90-day suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which resettles refugees to the United States. According to the order, the record influx of migrants under the Biden administration have strained federal resources and the United States reportedly no longer has the ability to offer financial assistance and resources without hurting American communities.
“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, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimiliation of refugees. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States,” the order states.
The decision was made in response to a lawsuit filed by major refugee aid organizations and individual refugees whose attempts to resettle in the United States have been halted. The groups claimed that they had to terminate employees as a result of the administration freezing funding for processing refugee applications abroad and providing support, including short-term assistance for those who were already in the country.
The lawsuit was filed by the International Refugee Assistance Project on behalf of Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, the Jewish refugee resettlement agency HIAS, and individuals including refugees.
“The president has substantial discretion to suspend refugee admissions,” said Judge Whitehead. “But that authority is not limitless.”