Thousands of Refugees, Many Already Approved for Resettlement, Abandoned by Unlawful Policy Reversal by Trump-Vance Administration

Washington, DC—Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), represented by co-counsel Democracy Forward, filed an amicus brief in Pacito v. Trump urging the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold legal protections for refugees arbitrarily barred from resettlement in the United States under the Trump-Vance administration’s sweeping and unlawful refugee ban.

The brief responds to Executive Order 14184, which suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and halted travel for all refugees including thousands who had already been vetted, approved, and — in many cases — had flights booked to the United States. Many of these people are in grave danger in their home countries – in some cases because they have helped the United States in its missions abroad. The order bypasses one of the government’s most longstanding humanitarian programs — which has resettled approximately 3.6 million people over the last 5o years from war-torn or authoritarian countries like Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, and the Congo –  without legal justification, contravening statutory mandates, and circumventing congressional oversight.

“Today’s filing underscores what is at stake: the lives of thousands of refugees who experienced every rigorous step, were fully vetted, and were counting on the safety and stability promised by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of RCUSA. “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.”

“The Trump-Vance administration’s refugee ban is unlawful and cruel. Nothing in this order makes anyone’s lives safer or better. The Constitution does not allow presidents to sideline our legal obligations and re-write the treatment of people in vulnerable circumstances when it suits their political agenda,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “We are honored to join in this effort to hold this administration accountable for their lawlessness that continues putting people’s lives at risk.”

The filing recounts America’s long, bipartisan history of supporting refugees and showcases multiple stories of refugees left abandoned, persecuted, and in legal limbo because of a policy that breaks promises and puts lives at risk. Many of those blocked from resettlement have direct ties to the United States, including family reunification cases, former employees or contractors of the U.S. government, and unaccompanied children approved for resettlement with foster families in the U.S. 

The amicus brief highlights how the executive order has abandoned thousands of refugees — women at risk, unaccompanied children, and U.S. allies, including thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. fight the Taliban. Some were days away from boarding flights, others are now facing continued threats of violence in their current host countries or deportation to the regimes they escaped.

The case is Pacito v. Trump, and Democracy Forward’s attorneys involved in the amicus brief are Sarah Rich and Somil Trivedi.

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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.