Federal Judge Mandates Resettlement of 12,000 Refugees Under Trump Administration

A federal judge appointed by President Joe Biden has ordered the Trump administration to resettle 12,000 refugees into the U.S., challenging an executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program.

U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, appointed in 2023 by former President Joe Biden, issued a significant ruling on Monday, compelling the Trump administration to immediately resettle approximately 12,000 refugees into the United States. This decision comes in direct opposition to President Donald Trump’s executive order, which sought to suspend the refugee admissions program. The order was issued despite the Trump administration’s argument in a recent hearing that it should only be required to process 160 refugees, hinting at a potential appeal against the broader resettlement mandate. Judge Whitehead’s order firmly stated, “This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” emphasizing the judiciary’s stance against governmental non-compliance with legal directives. Previously, in February, Whitehead had blocked the administration’s attempt to suspend refugee admissions in response to a lawsuit filed by refugee aid groups, criticizing the move as an “effective nullification of congressional will.” The judge has given the Trump administration seven days to resume processing the cases of refugees covered by the court order and instructed the government to facilitate the admission of refugees whose clearances remain valid.