News & Resources
On January 20, President Trump signed an Executive Order indefinitely halting entry through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), and just days after, the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Health & Human Services suspended all processing and refugee-related funding. IRAP filed a class action lawsuit representing a group of individual plaintiffs (on behalf of all similarly situated refugees and family members) and several refugee resettlement agencies seeking to have the Executive Order and agency suspensions declared illegal and their implementation halted, and to restore vital funding to the USRAP.
Our clients
Our plaintiffs include both individuals and organizations directly impacted by the suspensions. Individual plaintiffs include families who have waited for years to reunify, parents who sold all their belongings only to have their travel plans cancelled, individuals whose relatives assisted the U.S. in Afghanistan, and one recently resettled individual whose critical survival benefits have been indefinitely delayed. The organizational plaintiffs—Church World Service (CWS), HIAS, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW)—are key resettlement agencies whose operations have been severely disrupted by the suspension of USRAP and the overnight freeze on tens of millions of dollars in funding.
Impact
This lawsuit challenges the Trump Administration’s abrupt and unlawful dismantling of the refugee processing and admissions system. Since the Refugee Act of 1980, Congress has made it law and allocated funding to uphold the U.S. tradition of welcoming refugees and ensuring that those fleeing danger receive the support they need for a safe and dignified start to their new lives in the United States. Our lawsuit seeks to provide our clients and those similarly situated to enter the United States and to restore the Congressionally-authorized system of refugee admission and assistance that has been a hallmark of United States policy for decades.
Case status
- February 10, 2025: Case is filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (“Court” or “District Court”).
- February 25, 2025: Court issues oral ruling granting preliminary injunction, filing a written order three days later.
- March 3, 2025: Defendants file an appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Court of Appeals”).
- March 5, 2025: Plaintiffs file supplemental complaint.
- March 24, 2025: Court issues order granting Plaintiffs’ motion for supplementary preliminary injunction
- March 25, 2025: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issues order granting in part, and denying in part, the Government’s motion to stay the District Court’s February 28, 2025 preliminary injunction order.
- April 21, 2025: The Ninth Circuit Court clarifies its March 25 order (partially granting the Government’s motion for an emergency stay of the District Court’s preliminary injunction).
- April 23, 2025: The Government files a consolidated brief in the Ninth Circuit appealing both preliminary injunctions.
- May 5, 2025: District Court orders a compliance framework for the Government to promptly comply with the preliminary injunction orders as they apply to refugees who, pursuant to the Ninth Circuit’s clarification order, had arranged and confirmable travel plans to the United States on or before January 20, 2025.
- May 9, 2025: Ninth Circuit clarifies its March 25 stay order again.
- May 15, 2025: District Court rescinds its May 5 compliance framework order in light of second clarification from the Ninth Circuit and calls for appointment of a special master.
- May 20, 2025: Plaintiffs file their answering brief in the Ninth Circuit.
- May 22, 2025: In response to the District Court’s request that the parties submit their positions on the proposed special master and evaluation process, Plaintiffs and Defendants each filed separate briefs outlining their views
- May 27, 2025: Multiple amicus briefs are filed in support of Plaintiffs in the Ninth Circuit. Amici include: Refugees International, the Constitutional Accountability Center, several U.S. states, legal services organizations, faith-based organizations, the Ethiopian Community Development Council in conjunction with Lutheran Services Carolinas, Refugee Council USA, and former U.S. government officials.
- June 17, 2025: Defendants file their reply brief in the Ninth Circuit.
- June 25, 2025: IRAP filed a motion to enforce the District Court’s preliminary injunction after the Trump administration indicated it would apply the travel ban to refugees already approved for resettlement, defying the order to process and admit them “immediately.”
- July 14, 2025: District Court issues injunction implementation framework and appoints magistrate judge to assist with case-by-case reliance review of refugee cases.
- July 17, 2025: Defendants file another emergency motion in the Ninth Circuit to stay the District Court’s preliminary injunctions in their entirety, including the July 14 implementation framework.
- July 19, 2025: Ninth Circuit issues temporary administrative stay of July 14 injunction implementation framework and orders Plaintiffs to respond to Defendants’ motion.
- July 23, 2025: Plaintiffs file their response to the emergency stay motion in the Ninth Circuit.
- July 25, 2025: Defendants file their reply to the emergency stay motion in the Ninth Circuit.
- September 3, 2025: Oral arguments scheduled before the Ninth Circuit United States Court of Appeals. Arguments can be heard here.
- September 12, 2025: Ninth Circuit issues order staying the district court’s preliminary injunctions in their entirety, pending decision on appeal, except as to the provision of reception and placement services
Perkins Coie LLP is co-counsel in this case.
Follow the Case
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February 10, 2025 | Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
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February 11, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction
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February 18, 2025 | States’ amicus brief in support of Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction
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February 19, 2025 | Government’s opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction
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February 22, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ reply in support of their motion for preliminary injunction
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February 27, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ motion for emergency conference
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February 28, 2025 | Court order issuing preliminary injunction
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March 3, 2025 | Government’s motion to stay preliminary injunction pending appeal
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March 4, 2025 | Government’s response opposing Plaintiffs’ motion for emergency conference
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March 5, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ first supplemental complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief
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March 5, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction on supplemental pleading
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March 7, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ opposition to Government’s motion for a stay pending appeal
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March 7, 2025 | Defendants’ opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction on supplemental pleading
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March 8, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Government’s emergency motion for stay pending appeal
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March 10, 2025 | Government’s status report regarding preliminary injunction compliance
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March 11, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ reply in support of their motion for preliminary injunction on supplemental pleading
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March 14, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Plaintiffs’ opposition to Government’s emergency motion for stay pending appeal
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March 18, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Government’s reply in support of their emergency motion for stay pending appeal
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March 24, 2025 | Court order issuing second preliminary injunction
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March 25, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Order granting in part, and denying in part, Government’s motion to stay the District Court’s February 28, 2025 order
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April 3, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ motion for emergency conference or show cause hearing to address Defendants’ intent to re-suspend USRAP cooperative agreements
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April 3, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ motion to enforce the first preliminary injunction and emergency motion for show cause hearing
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April 4, 2025 | Order denying Defendants’ motion to stay the preliminary injunction on terminations
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April 11, 2025 | Order granting in part Plaintiffs’ motion to enforce the first preliminary injunction
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April 21, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Order clarifying March 25 order partially granting the Government’s motion for an emergency stay of the District Court’s preliminary injunction
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April 23, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Government’s consolidated brief appealing both preliminary injunctions
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May 5, 2025 | Compliance framework order
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May 9, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Second clarification
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May 15, 2025 | Order rescinding compliance framework
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May 20, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Plaintiffs’ consolidated answering brief
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May 22, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ submission regarding proposal for special neutral and procedures for evaluation
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May 22, 2025 | Defendants’ submission regarding proposal for special neutral and procedures for evaluation
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May 26, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Refugees International amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Constitutional Accountability Center amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] States’ amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Legal services organizations’ amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Faith-based organizations’ amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Ethiopian Community Development Council and Lutheran Services Carolinas’ amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Refugee Council USA’s amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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May 27, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Former U.S. Government officials’ amicus brief supporting Plaintiffs
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June 17, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Defendants’ reply brief
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June 25, 2025 | Plaintiffs’ motion for emergency conference to address Defendants’ compliance with preliminary injunction
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July 14, 2025 | Order establishing injunction implementation framework and appointing magistrate judge
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July 17, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Defendants’ motion to enforce, clarify, or amend stay order
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July 23, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Plaintiffs’ response to motion to enforce, clarify, or amend stay order
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July 25, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Defendant’s reply in support of motion to enforce, clarify, or amend stay order
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September 12, 2025 | [Ninth Circuit] Ninth Circuit Order on Stay Pending Appeal
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New York Times exclusive
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The Dallas Morning News: Iraqi refugee in Dallas, resettlement agencies sue Trump government over funding freeze
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Associated Press: A federal judge in Seattle blocks Trump’s effort to halt the refugee admissions system
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Court Orders Government to Comply with Preliminary Injunction in Lawsuit Challenging Refugee Ban
4/12/2025
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9th Circuit of Appeals Rules Trump Administration Must Process and Admit Conditionally Approved Refugees
3/25/2025
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Trump Administration Blocked from Terminating Agreements with Refugee-Serving Agencies
3/25/2025
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Status Report Confirms Government is Undermining Court Ruling to Resume Refugee Processing
3/11/2025
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Federal Judge Questions Timing of Termination of Resettlement Agency Contracts and Orders Government to Update Court on Restoration of Refugee Processing
3/4/2025
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Advocates React to Judge Granting Preliminary Injunction in Trump Refugee Ban Challenge
2/25/2025
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Refugee Resettlement Leaders and Attorneys Discuss New Lawsuit Challenging Trump Suspension of USRAP
2/11/2025
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New Lawsuit Challenges Trump Suspension of Refugee Resettlement Program and Freeze of Refugee Funding
2/10/2025
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