Original Date Announced

President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14163, "Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program," directing "that entry into the United States of refugees under the USRAP be suspended" effective January 27, 2025. The order further instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report within 90 days, and every 90 days thereafter, advising the president "whether resumption of entry of refugees into the United States under the USRAP would be in the interests of the United States." While suspended, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security may jointly determine to admit noncitizens as refugees on a case-by-case basis if such entries are deemed in the national interest and pose no threat to U.S. security or welfare.

The EO further directs DHS and DOJ to examine the legal authorities to provide States and localities a role in determining whether refugees will be placed or settled in their jurisdictions.

You are viewing the general entry for this Executive Order. For discrete policies within the EO and subsequent actions related to them, see the "Associated and Derivative Policies" linked on this page.

Trump 2.0 [ID #1376]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.01.22 - Reported: CNN - "Flights cancelled for refugees who were slated to travel to the U.S."

CNN reports that days before the effective date for the refugee-admissions suspension, DOS sent a memo to resettlement partners halting flights for refugees slated to travel to the U.S. The memo reportedly states: "All previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and no new travel bookings will be made. RSCs should not request travel for any additional refugee cases at this time."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.02.07 - DOS: Update on I-730 Following-to-Join Refugee Processing at the Department of State

DOS announces an "Update on I-730 Following-to-Join Refugee Processing at the Department of State." In response to EO 14163, the government has suspended the processing of all refugee applications under USRAP. This includes following-to-join refugee (FTJ-R) travel eligibility determinations conducted at U.S. embassies and consulates. DOS directs "FTJ-R beneficiaries whose cases are already at a U.S. embassy or consulate to contact that embassy or consulate directly" to inquire about interview status and retrieve their passports. FTJ-R beneficiaries whose cases are at the National Visa Center (NVC) should contact NVC using the Public Inquiry Form. FTJ-R beneficiaries "in possession of unexpired boarding foils" should direct travel questions to CBP.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.3.5 Pacito v. Trump, 2:25-cv-255-JNW (W.D. Wash.) - Amended Complaint

Individual and organizational plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump's move to indefinitely pause the U.S. refugee program and his administration's suspension of DOS and HHS funds to organizations providing overseas refugee-admission assistance and domestic reception and placement for newly arrived refugees. Pacito v. Trump, 2:25-cv-00255 (W.D. Wash.).

On March 5, 2025, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, which is the version included in this entry.

**Link to case here.  Litigation entries report only the initial complaint and any major substantive rulings.  CourtListener provides access to PACER and pleadings. Sites that track litigation more comprehensively include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, and Just Security Litigation Tracker**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.02.28 - Preliminary Injunction - Pacito et al. v. Trump, 2:25-cv-255 (W.D. Wash.)

U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead issued a preliminary injunction granting Plaintiffs' motion in Pacito v. Trump, 2:25-cv-00255 (W.D. Wash.). The order enjoins implementation of Sections 3(a), (b), and (c), and section 4 of EO 14163 and prohibits "the suspension of refugee processing, decisions, and admissions . . . suspending or implementing the suspension of [United States Refugee Admissions Program] USRAP funds . . . [and] withholding reimbursement to resettlement partners for USRAP-related work performed pursuant to cooperative agreements." Judge Whitehead found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the enjoined actions were ultra vires and violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.

**See litigation note above**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.03.14 DOS: Update on I-730 Following-to-Join Refugee Processing at the Department of State

DOS announced that, consistent with the preliminary injunction in Pacito v. Trump, it has resumed the processing of following-to-join beneficiaries who are relatives of refugees already in the United States. DOS will communicate directly with beneficiaries whose appointments were previously canceled to reschedule their appointments. DOS will also continue processing any application for which the following-to-join refugee beneficiary has already been interviewed.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.03.24 Second Preliminary Injunction - Pacito et al. v. Trump

The district court found that hours after it issued the first preliminary injunction on February 28, Secretary of State Rubio began terminating all of the government's resettlement agency cooperative agreements on the grounds that they “no longer effectuate agency priorities.” The court held that the sudden terminations are likely arbitrary and capricious, and issued a second preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of the terminations and ordering the government to reinstate the cooperative agreements.

**See litigation note above**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.03.25 - Order Staying District Court's Preliminary Injunction in Part - Pacito v. Trump

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order granting in part and denying in part the government's emergency motion for a stay of the district court's February 28, 2025 preliminary injunction. The court held that the preliminary injunction still "applies to individuals who were conditionally approved for refugee status by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services before January 20, 2025," because the executive order described in this entry "does not purport to revoke the refugee status" of those individuals.

However, citing Trump v. Hawaii, 585 U.S. 667, 684 (2018) and the President's "ample power to impose entry restrictions," the panel stayed the district court's preliminary injunction in all other respects. Pacito v. Trump, No. 25-1313 (9th Cir.).

**Link to case here.  Litigation entries report only the initial complaint and any major substantive rulings.  CourtListener provides access to PACER and pleadings. Sites that track litigation more comprehensively include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, and Just Security Litigation Tracker**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.04.21 Order Clarifying Stay of Preliminary Injunction - Pacito v. Trump

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order clarifying its March 25, 2025 order staying the district court's February 28, 2025 preliminary injunction in part, in response to the government's motion to clarify the scope of the order. The order clarified that the preliminary injunction remains in effect only as applied to applicants with an approved refugee application who were cleared by USCIS for travel and "had arranged and confirmable travel plans to the United States" before January 20, 2025. The government must "resume their processing, facilitation of travel to the United States, admission, and provision of resettlement benefits after admission." Pacito v. Trump, No. 25-1313 (9th Cir.).

**See litigation note above**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.05.05 Compliance Framework Order - Pacito v. Trump

The district court clarified the scope of the preliminary injunctions as narrowed by the Ninth Circuit, finding that the Ninth Circuit's order applies to all refugees who, as of January 20, 2025, had received confirmation of travel arrangements to the United States through some USRAP instrumentality, regardless of when the travel was scheduled to occur and who arranged it. The district court then established a framework to ensure the government's compliance with the preliminary injunctions. The framework requires the government to take certain identified measures within seven, fourteen, twenty-one, and twenty-eight days, and further requires the government to provide a report on its completion of each compliance measure and share additional information concerning the injunction-protected refugees. Pacito v. Trump, 2:25-cv-00255 (W.D. Wash.).

**See litigation note above**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.06.24 USCIS - Updated Guidance on Validity of Alien Refugee and Asylee Marriages

USCIS announced that it is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on valid marriages between a principal asylum or principal refugee and their claimed spouse in order to comply with the executive order described in this entry. Under the updated guidance, all marriages between principal asylees or principal refugees and their claimed derivative spouses must be legally valid under the law of the jurisdiction where the marriage was celebrated in order to be considered valid for immigration benefit purposes. This guidance is effective March 3, 2025.