Joe Biden intends to admit 125,000 refugees in his first year. Many will be fleeing religious persecution. While highlighting persecution, President Trump cut refugee admissions to 15,000.
The order is a blow for the White House, which essentially tried to give state and local government officials power to veto resettlement. The judge says that appears to violate the Refugee Act.
The White House wants to give state and local officials the power to block refugee resettlement in their backyards. But immigrant advocates say the executive order violates federal law.
The number of refugees being allowed into the U.S. is the lowest it's been since 1980. Some smaller resettlement agencies particularly in rural states are closing putting refugees' lives further in limbo.
Aden Batar directs a refugee resettlement program in Utah. It is the same organization that helped resettle his family 25 years ago, when they fled a harrowing civil war in Somalia.
On Friday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C, ruled that undocumented minors under the control of the Department of Health and Human Services can access abortion services they were being denied.
Starting Wednesday, all refugees face more extensive background checks. And the administration is conducting an extra 90-day review of vetting procedures for refugees from 11 countries.
Justices upheld a lower court order that said grandparents and other relatives qualify as close family and are exempt from the Trump travel ban for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries.
Refugees and resettlement agencies around the U.S. are facing uncertainty as the courts decide what happens to the U.S. refugee program, but donations for refugees are piling up as agencies wait.
For decades Catholic Charities has assisted in resettling refugees in Nevada, picking them up at the airport, finding and furnishing apartments, and introducing the newcomers to American culture an
President Trump promises to give priority to Christians when admitting refugees to the United States, but many Christian leaders say it's the wrong approach.
Six of the nine agencies that resettle refugees in the U.S. are religious groups. Their leaders say the president's decision to halt the refugee flow runs counter to their beliefs and ministry.
The Detroit area is a natural destination for refugees fleeing violence in places like Syria. But a local leader has called for a stop to these refugee resettlements.
Refugees are adjusting to life in Connecticut, where a program pairs them with private citizens who provide support for their resettlement. "I have a chance as much as anybody else," says one refugee.
Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement means that aid agencies will have to deal directly with the federal government. State services and benefits for refugees in Texas are expected to end in January.
Fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees have been allowed to come to the U.S. The Al-Awad family in Toledo, Ohio, is among them. Local groups are helping them adjust to their new life in the U.S.
