A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden has mandated that President Donald Trump’s administration admit approximately 12,000 refugees into the United States. The ruling challenges the administration’s efforts to suspend the refugee admissions program.
U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, appointed in 2023, issued the order following a legal dispute over President Trump’s executive action on January 20, 2025, which aimed to halt the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The administration contended that only 160 refugees, those scheduled to travel within two weeks of the order, should be admitted. However, Judge Whitehead rejected this interpretation, stating it required “hallucinating new text that simply is not there.”
Whitehead wrote:
“The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law—and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit—while it seeks such clarification. The Government’s obligation to process, admit, and provide statutorily mandated resettlement support services to the Injunction-Protected Refugees is immediate. Likewise, the Government’s obligation to restore funding, information, and operational support to its USRAP partners as necessary to process, admit, and provide resettlement services to these individuals is also immediate.“
The judge emphasized that the government must process refugees who had arranged and confirmed travel plans before the executive order, regardless of their scheduled travel dates. He ordered the administration to resume processing these cases immediately and to facilitate their admission, provided their security and medical clearances remain valid.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, separate from asylum requests at the border, has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration and sovereignty. Established in 1980, the program often takes years to complete, but critics have warned it lacks sufficient safeguards to prevent infiltration by foreign adversaries or those with extremist ties.
Following President Trump’s order, refugee resettlement groups and left-leaning organizations filed suit, claiming the move was illegal. These same groups have long pushed for dramatically expanded refugee numbers and publicly opposed any effort to put the safety of American citizens before international humanitarian goals.
The decision also highlights the growing tension between the executive branch and the federal judiciary, especially as courts stocked by Biden appointees move to block conservative policy measures. The administration may seek relief from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but until then, the Biden-era court ruling stands—forcing U.S. communities to absorb thousands of refugees against the president’s directive.
