Last updated: Friday, May 23, 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: Breaking developments in the Pacito v. Trump case, in which CWS and others have challenged the Trump administration’s ongoing refugee ban and funding freeze. Yesterday, plaintiffs and the administration filed recommendations for how to proceed with the processing of “injunction protected refugees” – and how to determine which refugees might fall into that category. A federal judge had ordered the administration to immediately process, admit, and provide resettlement support to 160 refugees (a group whose travel to the U.S. was scheduled within two weeks of January 20). The court then noted its intention to appoint a “special neutral” to conduct a case-by-case review of other stranded refugees whose circumstances indicate a “strong reliance interest…comparable to plaintiff Pacito.” Yesterday, parties filed suggested nominations for the special neutral position and recommended qualifications to meet the “strong reliance interest” threshold. In their filing, plaintiffs recommended the court nominate a special neutral who has substantial capacity and time to review cases, who has some adjudicatory or mediation experience, and who has “some demonstrated familiarity or experience with issues affecting displaced people.” Plaintiffs further argued that refugees with “strong reliance interests” who are to be processed and resettled should include: a) Minor children traveling without an accompanying adult; b) Cases authorized for expedited processing for medical or protection concerns; c) Cases of Afghan refugees required by the U.S. government to relocate to a third location for processing of their application, and; d) Cases that overseas Resettlement Support Centers identify as having strong reliance interests following a review. Plaintiffs also argued for the resumption of Reception and Placement benefits to already-resettled refugees who had been cut off from support by the refugee ban and funding freeze. In their filing, the government argued that there should be no special neutral and the decision should be entirely up to the administration about who to process and admit. They did recommend a series of retired judges as possible special neutrals if one was to be nominated, and noted their recommended qualifications would be to focus on cases in which individuals terminated their leases, voluntarily ended employment, sold or donated possessions, or disenrolled children from school like Plaintiff Pacito did in anticipation of traveling to the U.S. The filing notes that “other reliance interests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. State Department office responsible for refugee resettlement given new disaster relief responsibilities. According to a May 21 report, an internal department cable has indicated that the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) will be the lead department coordinating the United States’ response to overseas disasters. The move comes after the administration has taken significant steps to dismantle USAID, which was previously largely responsible for disaster response. The cable noted that overseas missions should consult with PRM on foreign disaster declarations and that PRM could approve disaster assistance monies to be used to support an initial response. Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Relief and current president of Refugees International called the move “ridiculous,” stating of PRM: “They do important stuff but this is not what they do.” Senate turns to budget reconciliation bill. Yesterday morning, the House passed a budget reconciliation bill that, if signed into law, could cut off millions of people from Medicaid, cut off refugees and other humanitarian entrants from SNAP and Medicare, and substantially increase ICE’s budget and authority to detain and deport immigrant families. The bill now is in the hands of the Senate, where Senate Republicans intend to make significant changes. Just how far they go before the stated July 4 deadline remains to be seen. Use this action alert to urge your members of Congress to push back against the harmful provisions in the reconciliation bill. |
Today’s Headlines, Calls to Action and Community Resources |
Stories of Impact |
| Gul and his wife were separated from their four minor children outside Kabul airport in the chaos of the Afghan evacuation effort in August 2021. After resettling to Massachusetts under Operation Allies Welcome, they began tirelessly working to reunite with their children, who remained overseas and at risk. After being separated for almost three and a half years, the four children were booked to travel on January 23, the day after the cancellations began rolling in. Their reunification has now been indefinitely 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 more stories of impact here. |