Emergency hearing held in Seattle regarding Trump’s refugee ban

There was an emergency hearing in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s refugee ban.

The president’s ban halted all refugee processing and millions of federal dollars used to carry out refugee resettlements.

Last week, Judge Jamal Whitehead issued a preliminary injunction halting the president’s order. However, less than 24 hours later, the Trump administration ordered the immediate termination of the contracts of the 10 resettlement agencies that facilitate refugee resettlement as part of the United States Refugee Admissions Program.

Whitehead said the timing of the decision to terminate the contracts “raises serious concerns about whether the actions were designed to circumvent the court’s ruling.”

Whitehead made no ruling but ordered both sides back in court Monday.

More on the United States Refugee Admissions Program

As reported by The Associated Press, the refugee program was created by Congress in 1980. It is a form of legal migration to the U.S. for people displaced by war, natural disaster or persecution — a process that often takes years and involves significant vetting. It is different from asylum, by which people newly arrived in the U.S. can seek permission to remain because they fear persecution in their home country.

According to The AP, despite longstanding bipartisan support for accepting refugees, the program has become politicized in recent years. Trump also temporarily halted it during his first term and then dramatically decreased the number of refugees who could enter the U.S. each year.

There are 600,000 people being processed to come to the U.S. as refugees around the world, according to the administration, as stated by The AP.

Contributing: Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Follow James Lynch on X. Submit news tips here.

Follow @James_KIRORadio