Last updated: Monday, November 10, 2025
This resource provides daily updates from the CWS policy team in your inbox on the latest policy changes; the morning’s headlines on key issues impacting refugees and immigrants; and updated tools to take action. Subscribe now to receive daily updates on the latest developments and ways to support impacted communities.
State of Play |
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The latest: The Senate appears to have reached a deal that could end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. But what are the implications for refugees and immigrants? Late Sunday night, the Senate moved forward with an initial procedural vote to advance a deal to reopen the government. Several additional votes and debate will be required before this package becomes law, but let’s take stock of what’s included in the deal as it stands today:
Refugee resettlement remains paused, for now. Sunday’s vote represents just the first hurdle, and it will take at least until Wednesday for the government to formally reopen if the deal proceeds. In the meantime, no refugees are being resettled even after the publication of a Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions levels on Halloween. The PD slashes admissions to a historic low of just 7,500, prioritizes the resettlement of Afrikaners, and otherwise keeps in place the ongoing refugee and travel bans. It also may very well be invalid, as per a statement from Judiciary Committee lawmakers, the administration “brazenly ignored” the requirement under the Refugee Act to conduct consultations with Congress before setting a new refugee target. Advocates and lawmakers are considering legal challenges, per a report in The Hill yesterday. Regardless, the administration has said it will not be resettling refugees under the new admissions goal until the government shutdown ends. It remains unclear if the administration will immediately attempt to resume flights upon the end of the shutdown, or if they will first attempt to schedule some form of post-hoc consultation despite the fact that the PD is already published in the Federal Register. Regardless, without further clarity on the legality of a PD without “appropriate consultations” as defined by law, departing or resettling refugees may not be possible. Rollout of SNAP cuts for refugees and other humanitarian entrants. With the shutdown likely to end, so too will the pause on November SNAP benefits (which will hopefully be replenished by the end of the week). But as SNAP funding resumes, states are continuing to implement eligibility changes instituted by the recently-passed, so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). On October 31, the USDA issued formal guidance on the implementation of the eligibility changes for refugees and humanitarian entrants. Many states are still interpreting the guidance, but some have already begun to cut newcomers off. Last week, the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition – in partnership with the National Immigration Law Center – published guidance for states to help ensure they do not apply the eligibility changes overbroadly and cut off those who should remain eligible. Please share the guidance with your state officials, and take action to urge your state and local elected leaders to support those who may be getting cut off. What about SIVs? As we celebrate Veterans Day tomorrow, tens of thousands of Afghans who are at risk due to their support for the U.S. mission overseas remain stranded. Unlike refugees, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders are continuing to arrive as the shutdown continues. The administration recently came to an agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to resume flight support to the U.S. for SIVs once their visa is issued. Afghans seeking flight support should contact siv_ope@iom.int. Trump administration issues guidance to consider rejecting immigrants with certain medical conditions. According to a directive sent from the State Department to embassies last Thursday, the Trump administration may soon begin rejecting visa applications for individuals due to health conditions. The list of conditions that may be considered includes but is not limited to “cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions.” The move is just the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to use the “public charge” ground of inadmissibility to restrict immigration. Read more about the effort and about public charge here. |
Today’s Headlines, Calls to Action and Community Resources |
Stories of Impact |
| Zenayda is a refugee who resettled in Texas who has been trying for years to get her child to safety after many kidnapping attempts. The child’s flight was booked to arrive in February. That flight has now been cancelled, and the child’s case – which is listed as “extremely vulnerable” – is now once again delayed
Doaa is a single mom with three children who have been forcibly displaced and are currently living as refugees in Cairo, Egypt. She was referred to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program because of her status as a refugee and because she has family already living in New Jersey. She and her children went through the lengthy vetting and screening process and finally had their travel booked to the U.S. – but her flight was among those cancelled by Trump’s indefinite refugee admissions ban. The children are 19, 15, and 13. The case file shows the family as: “Survivors of Violence and Torture.” The Sung family are refugees from Myanmar who were split up as they fled for safe harbor. Part of the family has been resettled in Texas, and they have been waiting for years as the rest of the family goes through the resettlement process. The flight was scheduled for early February, and the family here bought a four-bedroom home just to accommodate them. Their flight was cancelled at the last minute. Find stories of impact here, and watch this space for new stories as they arise. Have a story to share? Send it to us via this form. |
