Judge blocks Trump’s Executive Order for Suspension of Refugee Program

A federal judge in Seattle blocked an executive order that President Trump signed shortly after he was sworn in suspended a tent -year -old program admission of thousands of refugees in the United States every year.

Judge Jamal N. Whitehead of the US District Court for Washington’s Western District has issued a preliminary decision that ordered the government to effectively restore both US refugee admission and refugee assistance organizations, over time. What court has considered the merits of A process to block The order of Mr. Trump.

Judge Whitehead said that it was likely that the Trump administration had exceeded the legal authority by suspending a program that Congress set up by law in 1980. Over 3 million refugees were admitted to the United States in the program.

The applicants’ argument that the order of the White House was an “effective cancellation of the will of Congress” was likely to prevail, said Judge Whitehead, who was nominated by former President Joseph R. Biden, in the decision on the bank.

Laurie Ball Cooper, vice -president for American legal programs at the International Refugee Assistance Project, a non -profit that represents the applicants, said in a statement that the president’s discretion is not unlimited. “The prohibition of refugees is illegal and must be stopped,” she said.

The spokesmen for the White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately return the comment requests.

The US refugee admission program has persisted by seven presidents, including Mr. Trump’s first term. The applicants accused Mr. Trump for violation of the law that established the program, as well as the procedures for taking the rules in the law of the administrative procedure and the guarantee of the fifth amendment for the corresponding process.

The nine individual plaintiffs include a 22-year-old refugee in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who spent two years asking to reinstall to the United States, just to have their flight from Nairobi, Kenya, was canceled at two days. After Mr. Trump signed the Executive order on January 20. Three organizations receiving federal funding to help refugees reinstall in the United States have joined them in the process.

Mr. Trump said that, in general, he is inclined to appeal to unfavorable judgments. The government could ask the US Court of Appeal for the new circuit to remain judge Whitehead. A stay from the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court would put the executive order in place while its legal challenge.

But even if the preliminary judge of Judge Whitehead remains in force, it is not clear whether the administration will comply. The Trump administration faced a the wave of processes challenging his actions and agencies have systematically found gaps for Actually maintain Mr. Trump’s orders in force Despite the directives from the judges.

In separate cases, two federals The judges have requests granted For an “application motion” – an indication of the court that the Government does not promptly respect the initial order.

Although no judge found the administration officials to be in contempt towards the court, a Social media From Mr. Trump, saying that “the one who saves his country does not violate any law” has composed the fears that the executive branch could simply refuse to comply with the judicial orders. Say legal experts This open challenge of the authority of the judicial system to interpret the law would mean a constitutional crisis.

Hamed Aleaziz and Miriam Jordan Contributing reporting.