The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and prolonged delays in reimbursement for resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country and around the world. Welcome to the latest edition of State of Play from Church World Service. This resource will provide regular updates from the CWS Policy Team on the current state of play; updated asks for national, state and local leaders; and the latest headlines and community resources. Subscribe now to receive daily updates on the latest developments and ways to support impacted communities.
State of Play |
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Afghans experiencing increased fear, discrimination, and targeting for deportation. The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and xenophobic rhetoric have had a profound effect on the Afghan community after last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. In a November 29 email viewed by the New York Times, an ICE official ordered agents to locate and apprehend more than 1,800 Afghans who were given final deportation orders but are not currently detained. Other documents instructed ICE field offices to report how many Afghans are being removed, arrested, and investigated each day. The sweeping immigration changes include the pausing of visas to Afghan nationals (including Special Immigrant Visa holders), halting immigration benefits requests and reviewing all green card holders from Afghanistan and 18 other countries subject to the travel ban, re-reviewing nationals of the countries on the travel ban list who arrived after January 20, 2021, and halting all processing of affirmative asylum cases, regardless of nationality. This crackdown comes after earlier reporting that USCIS is subjecting all refugees who entered the U.S. under the Biden administration to a re-litigation of their case for refugee status and pausing processing of refugees’ green card applications. Afghans report facing new discrimination or staying home after hearing rumors of federal agents near their workplace. Obaidullah Durani, a fighter pilot who had been trained by U.S. forces and resettled with his two children in Arizona, told the New York Times that the administration “shouldn’t punish all of us because of one person,” and that the United States is “a country of laws and democracy; the man has been arrested.” Some Republican lawmakers have defended Afghan allies in the past week, such as Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) who said “a promise is a promise” and Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) who said that “there are a number of Afghan refugees who helped us tremendously over 20 years, and if they were sent back to Afghanistan would probably be subjected to punishment or death.” Urge your lawmakers to stand with Afghans, refugees, asylum seekers, and others facing increased threat here, and find a list of new community resources below. Hundreds of federal judges find mandatory detention policy illegal; judge strikes down and certifies class. According to a Politico analysis, at least 225 federal judges have found the administration’s unprecedented policy of mandatory detention without the ability to seek bond violates due process in more than 700 cases. In July, ICE issued interim guidance declaring that anyone who entered the U.S. without inspection is subject to detention and ineligible for a bond hearing. Then, a September Board of Immigration Appeals ruling made this interpretation binding on immigration judges unless a federal court intervenes. Immigrants have since argued in hundreds of emergency cases that their rights are being violated, and federal judges in at least 35 states have agreed with them. Only eight judges nationwide have aligned with the new policy. On November 25, a judge in Southern California struck down this policy and certified a nationwide class, granting relief to migrants who have entered or will enter the U.S. without inspection and those who were not initially detained when they came to the U.S. This decision secures migrants’ right to individualized bond hearings, although in practice not all judges have abided by the ruling. A status hearing in the case is scheduled for January 16, 2026. |
Today’s Headlines, Calls to Action and Community Resources |
Stories of Impact |
| The Moreno Family: “We are a Venezuelan family of five members who had to flee our country due to threats and persecution. The case holder is my wife, who was directly threatened with death in Venezuela. For this reason, we were forced to leave everything behind and seek refuge in Colombia. In August 2024, we received a conditional approval from the United States under the Safe Mobility program, but we were never able to travel because the process was suspended with the change of government. Since then, we have been living in painful limbo, unable to return to Venezuela and without a defined future in Colombia. Our eldest daughter is about to turn 17 and dreams of studying veterinary medicine, but opportunities are very limited in our current situation. As parents, our greatest wish is for our children to have access to education and a secure future, away from threats and uncertainty. Despite the difficulties, we continue to try to maintain hope, training ourselves and exploring opportunities abroad. Telling our story is our way of asking not to forget the refugee families who are trapped in blocked resettlement processes.”
Mother’s Plea for Hope: “I’m refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo currently living in Ethiopia with six children. I was full of hope to finally be on the path of being resettlement to the United States. But suddenly, that hope was taken away after the Trump administration suspended USRAP indefinitely and everything stopped. I keep waiting, praying and tell my children to be patient, but days turned into years. Life has become harder. What I see is fear and confusion in my children, and they ask me questions that I can not answer. I try to stay strong for them, but I, too, have lost hope. I feel helpless. I wonder if I will live a life where tomorrow is not a treat, but a promise. I speak out not for just myself but for the tens of thousands of refugees like me who have been approved, vetted and left stranded. I ask you, CWS, and all people of faith and compassion—please, do not forget us. Advocate for our resettlement. Please, help restore our hope. I dream of seeing my children in school, free from fear and full of dreams. I dream of a tomorrow that is better than today. I want my children to know that the world has not turned its back on them. We are mothers, fathers, children, survivors—still holding onto a thread of hope. Help us to turn hope into reality. Thank you for standing for refugees.” Joseph: “I am a Central African refugee in Benin approved for the American refugee program. With my family, we are suffering so much right now because we are not working, we do not have good conditions to ensure the future of our children and even in terms of health, we do not have the means to provide for that. We live in very painful conditions, sometimes going days without eating. The living conditions are not appropriate; the children are on the mat spending sleepless nights. With everything we have experienced as trauma during the war in the Central African Republic and what we are currently living, it is madness that does not yet touch us. We are really unhappy about the program that has been suspended.” Find more stories of impact here, and watch this space for new stories as they arise. Have a story to share? You can share it with us via this form for refugees overseas or this form for refugees, immigrants and service providers in the U.S. |
