Trump is canceling travel to the US for refugees, leaving thousands who have already been granted travel stranded
The Trump administration canceled the travel plans of refugees who had been approved to travel to the United States ahead of a deadline that suspended the U.S. refugee resettlement program next week.
Thousands of refugees who fled war and persecution and went through a sometimes years-long process to start a new life in the US are now stranded in various locations around the world. This includes more than 1,600 Afghans who have been helping the US war effort, as well as relatives of active duty US military personnel.
US President Donald Trump this week paused the program as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration. His move left open the possibility that refugees who had been vetted to come to the US and had booked flights before Monday’s deadline could get under the wire.
But in an email Tuesday, reviewed by The Associated Press, the U.S. agency that oversees refugee processing and arrivals told staff and stakeholders that “refugee arrivals to the United States have been suspended until further notice.”
There are just over 10,000 refugees from around the world who have already gone through the lengthy refugee admissions process and are scheduled to travel in the next few weeks, according to the document obtained by AP. It was not immediately clear how many were expected to arrive by the upcoming deadline.
Among them are more than 1,600 Afghans who have been approved to come to the US as part of a program that the Biden administration established after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Many veterans of America’s longest war have tried for years to help the Afghans they worked with, in addition to their families, to find refuge in the US. Many were ready to suspend the resettlement program, but hoped for special attention to the Afghans.
“The Trump administration’s early freeze on refugee flights is alarming, leaving thousands of Afghan allies in fear and uncertainty,” said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and leader of #AfghanEvac, a coalition supporting Afghanistan resettlement efforts.
“We stand ready to work together to resolve this and encourage clear communication with affected families. Let’s keep our promises and uphold American values.”
There is a special pathway – a special immigrant visa program – specifically for Afghans who have worked directly with the US government. VanDiver’s group said that program, established by Congress, is currently unaffected.
‘Devastating for families’
Trump’s order signed Monday gave the State Department a week before it begins suspending all processing and travel. The timing appears to have shifted, although it was not immediately clear what prompted the change.
The State Department referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Agencies that help refugees settle and adjust to life in the U.S. have argued that this is the kind of legal immigration that Trump and his supporters say they like, and have pointed to the strict background checks and sometimes years-long waits that refugees endure.
“This abrupt end to refugee admissions is devastating for families who have already endured unimaginable hardship and waited years for a chance to rebuild their lives in safety,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, head of Global Refuge, one of 10 U.S. resettlement agencies, said in a statement. press release from Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday rolled back Biden-era guidelines that limited immigration arrests near sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals and churches. Jason Houser, a former top immigration official during the Biden administration, says that is likely to further strain enforcement resources.
“Refugees go through one of the most rigorous screening processes in the world, and many have their travel canceled just days or even hours before they were supposed to start a new life in the United States,” she said. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
Refugees are different from people who come directly to the US-Mexico border with the goal of eventually seeking asylum. Refugees must live outside the US to be considered for resettlement, and the United Nations usually refers them to the State Department.
While the resettlement program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, the first Trump administration also temporarily halted resettlement and then reduced the number of refugees allowed into the country annually.
