New York, NY, February 26, 2025 —  Yesterday’s federal court ruling on the executive order suspending refugee admissions could bring relief to thousands of stranded refugees. Reversing last month’s abrupt halt to resettlement would allow refugees, many of whom have spent years undergoing US processing and security vetting, to reach safety in the United States and reunite with their families. 

The resettlement pause has left three International Rescue Committee (IRC) Spokane clients separated from their mother, who has been waiting to resettle to the United States for nearly ten years. After fleeing Syria, the three adult siblings were resettled to the United States in 2023. Their mother should have arrived last week, but her travel was cancelled due to the refugee admissions suspension order.

For thousands of refugees, the administration’s recent executive actions and subsequent stop-work orders had immediate repercussions. Refugees and Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), who risked their lives supporting US forces or working for US-funded programs, were prohibited from their arranged travel. For refugees and Afghan SIV holders who arrived just before the resettlement halt, stop work orders and funding freezes have created substantial uncertainty, leaving some facing housing and food insecurity and other vulnerabilities in the middle of winter. 

Since the passage of the 1980 Refugee Act, the US Refugee Admissions Program has offered security-vetted refugees from around the world the chance to start a new life in America. Refugees are not only survivors of crisis; they are future community members, business owners, health care workers, and essential contributors to the U.S. economy. Evidence consistently shows that refugees strengthen the communities that welcome them. A 2024 Department of Health and Human services study found that between 2005 and 2019, refugees, asylees, and their immediate families contributed a net positive impact of $124 billion to the U.S. government and state and local governments, demonstrating that over time, they have made significant positive fiscal contributions to the U.S. Resettlement benefits both the people who come here and the communities to which they contribute. 

Hans Van de Weerd, Senior Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum and Integration at the IRC, said,

"This decision gives hope to families that are separated and ensures that refugees most in need receive a chance to survive and thrive. We remain dedicated to our mission to help refugees reach safety and rebuild their lives, and we continue to advocate for policies that uphold our shared values of compassion and humanitarianism."

###

Learn more about how refugees strengthen the U.S. economy here.