Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt

The latest: As of March 27, the Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban remains largely in place – even as courts ruled this week that refugee support contracts must be reinstated and that resettlement must resume for USCIS-approved refugees. Resettlement agencies have still not received full reimbursements for frozen funds, and the over 100,000 refugees who had been conditionally approved for resettlement by USCIS – many of whom have completed all necessary security and medical screenings and are “ready for departure” – remain stranded overseas in increasingly dangerous conditions. 

A couple of key reporting deadlines to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead:  

• Monday, March 31. In Pacito v. Trump, the Trump administration is required to submit a status report by this coming Monday on its efforts to comply with a March 24 preliminary injunction requiring the reinstatement of terminated contracts, “including but not limited to agreements providing reception and placement services and to provide USRAP processing overseas.”
• Monday, April 7. A joint status report from both plaintiffs and the administration in the Pacito case is due a week later on April 7.  
• Sunday, April 20. On Easter Sunday, a report mandated by the refugee ban executive order on the possible resumption of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is due from the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State.  

Hearing nears on historic lawsuit against rescission of “protected areas” memo. On Friday, April 4, a federal court in Washington is hearing a lawsuit filed against the January 20 rescission of a policy that protects certain areas (including houses of worship, schools, and hospitals) from ICE enforcement operations. The lawsuit, Mennonite Church USA v. DHS, was filed on behalf of over two dozen religious groups representing millions of Americans.

The hearing comes amid increasingly indiscriminate enforcement actions have been reported across the country – including those targeting U.S. citizens and elementary schools.

Faith leaders and others are gathering in Washington, D.C. on April 3 to hold a “Sensitive Locations, Sacred Spaces” interfaith prayer vigil. See more information about the rescission of the protected areas memo here, and RSVP to attend the vigil here. 

Fallout continues over invocation of Alien Enemies Act. Per numerous reports, many of the hundreds of individuals flown to a maximum security prison in El Salvador amid the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act last weekend had no documented criminal history. An ACLU court filing noted that several Venezuelan women were included in the deportation flights and have since been sent back to the U.S. by the Salvadoran government. The flights also reportedly included approved refugees who had gone through extensive security checks and interviews prior to arrival in the U.S.

On March 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected an effort by the administration to lift a lower court’s order that has blocked ongoing deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. See CWS’ statement on the invocation of the AEA here. 

Communities react as Trump cuts off legal representation for immigrant children. On Friday, the Trump administration issued a near-total termination of the Unaccompanied Children Program, which is the only route to legal representation for tens of thousands of unaccompanied children across the country (including infants and toddlers). Local media across the country is documenting the dramatic local impact of this abrupt termination, which will leave children abandoned and at significantly greater risk of deportation to potentially dangerous circumstances. See more information here, and take action in support of vital services for unaccompanied children here.

How community members and supporters of refugee resettlement can take action:

1. Reach out to your elected leaders: Email and call your elected leaders and speak out in support of refugees and newcomers under threat. 
   • Use and share our latest action alert to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Refugee Act and urge your members of Congress to stand with refugees. The alert lets you easily email or call your representatives and request that they call on the Trump administration to abide by court orders, immediately and fully restore refugee resettlement and reception services, reinstate terminated contracts with resettlement agencies, and swiftly release reimbursements for resettlement agencies.
   • Use and share this action alert to oppose executive actions targeting unaccompanied immigrant children, including a recent directive from the administration to prioritize unaccompanied children for deportation. 
   • Set up a meeting with your elected leaders. Find tools for taking action and setting up an in-district meeting with your elected officials with this March Recess Advocacy Guide.
2. To businesses and chambers of commerce: Know a local business, trade association, or chamber that supports refugees? Encourage them to sign on to this business letter on the economic and workforce benefits of the refugee admissions program. (Template for outreach here) Deadline for signature is tomorrow, March 28!
3. To people of faith: Sign the Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration on Defending Refuge. The declaration is open for signatures through Lent. 
4. Donate to support impacted refugees and staff: Resettlement agencies are continuing to work to find ways to serve the most vulnerable refugees in their care using all of the resources at their disposal. Donate to your local resettlement agency or join in mutual aid efforts to support those in jeopardy due to the administration’s recent actions.

Key policy asks for national, state, and local elected leaders: 

• Urge the Trump administration to abide by recent court orders and fully restore the refugee resettlement program – including rebooking travel for the thousands of refugees who have had their flights cancelled. To do so, reimplement cooperative agreements with agencies to provide critical life-saving reception services, and reimburse resettlement agencies for millions in frozen funds for refugees. Refugee resettlement brings huge social and economic benefits to our communities and makes our country stronger, safer, and more prosperous.
• Publicly express your support for refugees and the bipartisan U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE). Recognize and speak to the impact of the stop work orders and reimbursement freeze on refugee resettlement services and programs in your community. Listen to and collect stories of your constituents who have been impacted.
• Stand up for refugees and newcomers in upcoming congressional funding and legislative deliberations. Support funding for key spending accounts (such as the Migration and Refugee Assistance account and Refugee and Entrant Assistance accounts) and include clear authorization and appropriations language dictating how that funding should be used to best serve refugees, newcomers, and the communities that welcome them. Encourage the renewal of contracts for legal services for unaccompanied children. Reject harmful legislation that seeks to divert massive funds to border militarization and mass deportation efforts.

Upcoming National and Local Actions 

• Washington, D.C. – Sensitive Locations, Sacred Spaces Interfaith Prayer Vigil: Thursday, April 3 at 6:30pm at National City Christian Church. RSVP for an interfaith prayer vigil ahead of the historic lawsuit challenging the administration’s rescission of the “sensitive locations” memo. 
• National – CWS Stand with Compassion Prayer Vigil: Friday, March 28 at 2pm ET. Register for a biweekly prayer vigil featuring refugee and faith leaders and a call to action.  
• National – Refugee Council USA National Advocacy Days: June 2-4. Register here to attend RCUSA’s annual advocacy days in Washington, D.C. Read more about the advocacy days here.

Latest Headlines 

• CNN: Federal appeals court maintains temporary block on Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations 
• Associated Press: Appeals court allows Trump administration to suspend approval of new refugees amid lawsuit 
• Documented: Trump Administration Terminates Humanitarian Parole Program, Affecting Thousands of Migrants 
• HuffPost: ‘Chaos’ Looms For Unaccompanied Kids As Trump Cancels Funding For Their Lawyers 
• The Guardian: ‘They tricked us’: migrants who braved the Darién Gap forced home by Trump deal 
• Associated Press: In Jamaica, Marco Rubio vows to revisit US travel warning
• Washington Post: Noem to visit El Salvador prison where deportees are in ‘legal limbo’ 
• NOTUS: Religious Freedom Advocates Are at Odds With the White House 

Community Resources 

• Justice Action Center: Explainer: Termination of CHNV Humanitarian Parole 
• CWS: Protect Immigrant Children: Tell Congress to Restore Vital Services and Push Back on Rapid Deportations
  
• IRAP: Explainer on the US Refugee Admissions Program Suspension 
• Strauss Center: Asylum Processing at the U.S.-Mexico Border February 2025 
• National Immigration Law Center: Know Your Rights: Trump’s Registration Requirement for Immigrants 
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Expedited Removal Toolkit  

Stories of Impact

• Loni is a mother of six children who fled violence and torture in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The family’s flight to Houston to reunite with her husband and the children’s father was scheduled for February – but it was cancelled after the ban went into effect. Loni and her children are now stuck indefinitely in Malawi.  
• Pacito is a refugee from the Democratic Republican of the Congo who was approved for resettlement and scheduled for travel with his wife and baby. They had sold all the family’s possessions and given up their home in preparation – but their flight was abruptly cancelled by the refugee ban. 
• Zenayda is a refugee who resettled in Texas who has been trying for years to get her child to safety after many attempts have been made to kidnap the child. 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.