News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRAVEL BAN DOESN’T APPLY TO ASYLUM-SEEKERS
Court Orders Government to Reunite Afghan Allies with Family Members
(Alexandria, VA) – Today, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia ruled in favor of Afghan asylees who the Trump administration had banned from bringing their families to safety in the United States. In A.A. v. State, the Court vacated the Trump administration’s policy applying Proclamations 10949 and 10998, commonly known as the “travel ban”, to family members of approved asylees in the United States. The Court also ordered that the government must remedy the unlawful application of the travel ban to the plaintiffs and must expedite their applications and reunification with their family members.
The plaintiffs, represented by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Williams & Connolly LLP, and Keler & Kershow PLLC, are Afghan nationals who were granted asylum in the United States as a result of their support for the U.S. military, as well as their spouses and children who are still in danger abroad. The U.S. government had argued that it can deny the entry of family members of asylees from Afghanistan and other countries subjected to the travel ban, even though the text of the ban expressly exempts asylees and people seeking asylum from inclusion.
Lupe Aguirre, Deputy Director of U.S. Litigation at IRAP, responded to the ruling:
“August marks five years since our clients’ lives were thrown into chaos by the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Because of their support for the United States, they remain in danger from the Taliban and our asylum laws are intended to protect them. Today the court affirmed that the State Department cannot use the travel ban to abandon this population, or any asylees seeking family reunification. The State Department must allow people with approved asylee status to reunite with their loved ones.”
Additional Resources
- Read the decision: HERE
- Learn more about the case: HERE
- Read the press release announcing the lawsuit: HERE
- Access IRAP’s explainer of the travel ban: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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