Tue Mar 25 19:59:11 UTC 2025: ## Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Halt New Refugee Approvals
**WASHINGTON, D.C. —** A U.S. appeals court has temporarily sided with President Donald Trump’s administration, allowing it to suspend the approval of new refugee applications. The ruling, issued Tuesday by a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel, allows the administration to halt the refugee admissions program while a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order plays out.
The decision partially overturns a lower court ruling by Judge Jamal Whitehead, who argued that while the President has discretion to suspend admissions, this authority is not unlimited. Judge Whitehead cited the humanitarian consequences of the suspension, including refugees stranded in dangerous situations and families separated.
President Trump’s order cites “record levels of migration” and the inability of U.S. cities and communities to absorb large numbers of refugees as justification for the suspension. Approximately 600,000 people are currently in the process of being vetted for refugee status worldwide.
While the acceptance of vetted refugees has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, the program has become increasingly politicized. This is not the first time President Trump has acted to restrict refugee admissions.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including several refugee resettlement agencies and individual refugees, argue the President has not demonstrated how the entry of refugees would harm the U.S. They also claim the suspension has severely hampered their ability to provide essential services. The Justice Department maintains the President’s actions are within his authority. The appeals court’s ruling allows processing to continue for refugees conditionally approved before President Trump took office.
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