US appeals court allows Trump to pause refugee program as litigation continues

By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration can pause refugee resettlement efforts while litigation over the freeze plays out in court, a federal U.S. appeals court said on Tuesday.

Refugees conditionally approved for entry by January 20 will be exempt from the pause, a panel of three judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said.

Trump, a Republican, immediately paused refugee resettlement after taking office on January 20, saying the program must ensure that refugees admitted to the U.S. "appropriately assimilate" and that taxpayer resources are not wasted. He called for the secretaries of Homeland Security and State to submit a report within 90 days to determine if it should be restarted.

In late February, a Seattle-based federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's refugee program freeze. The same judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to stop terminating contracts with groups that assist with refugee resettlement and restore cancelled agreements.

The groups hit by the funding freeze assist refugees in the U.S. with essential services such as housing and finding a job.

Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, gradually increased refugee admissions during his four-year term, accepting 100,000 in fiscal 2024.

Another 100,000 refugees abroad had been fully vetted and ready to travel to the U.S. as of mid-January, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters at the time.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Chris Reese)

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