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 |
Budget resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol advances. After six hours of votes on amendments overnight, the Senate cleared the first stage in its effort to pass another reconciliation bill that would give tens of billions of dollars more to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Now, the House needs to pass the budget resolution, but it remains unclear when that will happen and if some Representatives will attempt to expand its scope. If the budget resolution passes, the committees of jurisdiction – Judiciary and Homeland Security – will develop the legislative text for the bill. Should they make it that far, the final bill would then come to another vote before the House and the Senate. As this process continues over the coming weeks, you can use CWS’ new action alert to urge your lawmakers to stand firm and demand no more dollars for lawless immigration enforcement.
Senate Judiciary Democrats request investigation into attacks on legal immigration system. Yesterday, Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the Trump administration’s indefinite holds in immigration processing and re-reviews of previously approved applicants. The letters ask the Government Accountability Office to assess the evidentiary basis for these pauses and determine whether U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to resume operations.
Since late 2025, the Trump administration has indefinitely halted most immigrant benefits processing for people from 39 countries affected by the travel ban, stopped visa processing for people from 75 countries, and suspended most refugee and asylum processing (including processing of refugee green card applications). The administration has also announced plans to re-review immigration benefits approved under the Biden administration, including for those who are now U.S. citizens, green card holders, or refugees.
The Senators wrote, “We are deeply concerned that these changes—which have left immigrants, their families, and employers at a loss for how to obtain or maintain lawful status or presence—are an attempt to circumvent the statutory scheme for lawful immigration to the United States, rather than a legitimate exercise in improving the integrity of our immigration system.”
Stephen Miller and Tom Homan no-show House Homeland hearing. Yesterday, the House Homeland Security Committee held a Minority Day Hearing focused on mass deportations and ICE and CBP’s attacks on U.S. citizens. Invited witnesses Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and White House Border Czar Tom Homan did not show up to testify. The Republican members of the committee were also absent, missing firsthand accounts of U.S. citizens who faced excessive force or were violently detained by immigration enforcement.
Among the witnesses was the Reverend David Black, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago who ICE shot in the head with a pepper ball while praying outside of a detention facility last fall. In his testimony, Rev. Black stated: “As a Christian and an American, I am horrified by the radical evil being perpetrated by my government. Moreover, I am outraged by the blasphemy of those who support brutal ICE and CBP tactics yet call themselves Christians —they make a mockery of the sacrifice of God’s love on behalf of the world.”
Sensitive locations lawsuit hearing. An emergency hearing was held yesterday in PCUN v. Mullin, a lawsuit seeking to restore decades-old protections against immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like houses of worship, schools, and hospitals. The plaintiffs–Oregon’s farmworker union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers–argue that the escalating, enhanced risk of enforcement are deterring students from attending school and making it impossible for religious leaders to minister to their communities in accordance with their faith.
The case could reinstate the prior federal guidance that kept immigration enforcement out of sensitive locations. During the hearing, the judge noted that under the previous policy, immigration enforcement at sensitive locations went up the chain of command and had a specific justification, and that there’s “no comparison” between the past and what’s happening now. The judge said she would work to reach a decision “quickly.”
Stop Warehouse Detention Day of Action. This Saturday, communities are gathering at more than 180 events across the country to protest the massive expansion of ICE warehouse detention and ongoing assaults on due process rights. Find an event near you, or host one yourself!
Reminder: Tomorrow is the last day to register for Refugee Council USA’s Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C.
Stories of Impact |
Plaintiff Miriam and her family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo after facing persecution by paramilitary groups. They lived in a refugee camp in Burundi for fifteen years as they proceeded through the lengthy U.S. refugee resettlement vetting and screening process. She gave birth while going through this years-long process, and was erroneously advised by UN staff at the camp that adding her new son to the case would delay the resettlement process – and she understood she would be able to immediately apply for him once the rest of the family arrived in the U.S. Upon resettlement, Miriam immediately filed a Follow-to-Join application for her son, an application that has now been blocked by the refugee ban. A lawyer supporting the case asked the government for an exception to the ban, and was told the existing exception process “was not for” Miriam’s now-nine-year-old son. Miriam believes the government is purposefully neglecting her and preventing reunification with her son because her family is Black. She calls her son every day.
Plaintiff Babak resettled in the U.S. as a refugee from Iran, and is now a citizen. He has submitted an application for his wife and her parents through the Lautenberg program for those facing religious persecution. The family is Zoroastrian, a religious group that faces discrimination across all facets of society in Iran. While his wife was able to make it to the U.S. via another pathway, the family has been separated for years. They had been scheduled for an appointment to move their case forward and were preparing to leave for processing in Austria when the refugee ban stalled their case once again.
| 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.
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