This article was last updated July 27, 2026 

Summary

This article is for people who have questions about current U.S. refugee resettlement policies, including the “executive order” signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025. This executive order is called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” and it paused the U.S. refugee resettlement program. 

The article explains both what this executive order says and what it means for people who may be affected by these changes, such as current or potential refugee applicants. It also explains how the order is affected by IRAP’s lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to pause the refugee resettlement program.

What happened to the U.S. Refugee Admission Program (USRAP)?

The U.S. refugee resettlement program is called the United States Refugee Admissions Program, or “USRAP.” 

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program.” An “executive order” is an official document from the president that requires the government to do certain things. This order says that for an unknown amount of time, the U.S. government must stop letting refugees enter the United States. It also says that the government must stop making decisions on open refugee applications.

Shortly after the president issued this order, government agencies stopped accepting new refugee applications and paused all cases that were already open. They also canceled flights and travel arrangements for refugees who were already approved to travel. 

On February 10, 2025, IRAP filed a lawsuit against the government called Pacito v. Trump. This lawsuit argues that the government broke the law by stopping the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and cutting its funding by executive order. The lawsuit is asking a U.S. judge to decide if the executive order and the actions the government took to stop the USRAP are illegal. This case is still in progress, but at this time, the court has said that President Trump is allowed to pause the refugee resettlement program. 

You can find links to the court filings and orders in the case here.

How does this executive order affect my case?

Currently, the government is only processing applications through a specific new program in South Africa. For all other applicants, the government has paused all steps of the refugee application process, including: 

• accepting new referrals, 
• creating new cases, 
• scheduling interviews, 
• approving or denying cases,
• scheduling medical examinations, and 
• scheduling flights for people who have completed all of those steps.

Are there any exceptions to the suspension? Are there cases where these new rules may not apply?

The executive order says that exceptions might be possible. However, it does not say what kinds of cases should receive exceptions. The order says that the government can only make an exception if it decides it is in the “national interest” and that a refugee “does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.” The order does not say what this means, and the government has said that only they can start the process to decide whether a case should get an exception. 

Can I open a new USRAP case?

As far as we know, only Afrikaners and “disfavored minorities” in South Africa are able to open new USRAP cases at this time, through the new Refugee Admissions Program for South Africans.

Does the suspension affect the Welcome Corps program?

Yes, the U.S. government paused all parts of the Welcome Corps program as part of its response to the president’s executive order. It stopped accepting new applications for sponsorship and processing open applications. 

When will the refugee program reopen?

It’s difficult to predict what will happen with the U.S. refugee program. We don’t know when the program will reopen. The lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order is still in progress and we don’t know how long it will take for a final decision.  

I am an Afghan or Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicant. Will the suspension or other Trump Administration changes affect my SIV application?

The SIV program is not part of the U.S. refugee process. However, President Trump has also issued a travel ban, which says that people from certain countries, including Afghanistan, are not allowed to enter the U.S. Read more about the travel ban here. Although the SIV program is not affected by the refugee program pause, it is affected by the travel ban. There is no travel ban for Iraqi SIV applicants.  

You should also know that there have been changes to the COM application process for SIV applicants. The government is not accepting new COM applications or document additions to pending cases. Read more about the changes to the COM application process here.  

Does the suspension affect cases of Afghans applying through the Afghan P-1 / P-2 program?

Yes, all refugee applications are affected by this executive order, including cases referred through the Afghan P-1 / P-2 program. 

Has the Trump Administration paused the U.S. government's departure assistance (“CARE relocation”) for Afghans from Afghanistan?

The U.S. government has shut down the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) program, which previously assisted with relocation from Afghanistan for certain Afghans. 

My family member applied for me to join them in the United States. Will I still be able to come? 

Some family-based immigration applications are not affected by the refugee program pause. However, President Trump has also issued both a travel ban and immigrant visa pause for people from certain countries. Please check this list to see if you are affected by the travel ban and/or the immigrant visa pause.  

Case types that are not affected by the Refugee Program pause

• If your relative is an asylee and applied to bring you to the United States using the I-730 (“follow-to-join asylee”) process: Your case is not affected by the refugee program pause. 
  • “Asylees” are people who received asylum status once they were already in the United States. Family members of asylees who are applying to come to the United States using the I-730 process are not affected by the executive order, because their cases are not part of USRAP. 
  • However, remember that the I-730 can still be affected by the travel ban and immigrant visa pause depending on what country you are from and if it is listed in the bans. 
  • More information about I-730 for asylees can be found here.
     
• I-130: If your relative applied to bring you to the US with an I-130 (a family-based immigration petition form), your case is not affected by the refugee program pause. 
  • The I-130 family-based immigration process is for US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs, or “green card holders”) who are applying to bring certain qualifying relatives to the United States. This pathway is not part of USRAP. More information can be found here.
  • However, remember that the I-130 can still be affected by the travel ban and immigrant visa pause depending on what country you are from and if it is listed in the bans. 

Case types that are affected by the Refugee Program pause

• If your relative is a refugee and applied to bring you to the United States using the I-730 (“follow-to-join refugee”) process: Your case is paused. Because of the suspension, government agencies paused processing and travel for these cases. More information about I-730 for refugees can be found here.
   
• If your relative applied to bring you to the United States through the “Priority 3” (P-3) Family Reunification program: Your case is paused. 

• If you are Iraqi or Syrian and your relative applied to bring you over through the special USRAP I-130 program: Your refugee case through USRAP is paused. Your I-130 case may be affected by the travel ban and immigrant visa pause.
   
• If your relative or someone else applied to sponsor you through Welcome Corps: Your case is paused.

• If your relative applied to bring you to the United States through the Central American Minors (CAM) Program: Your case is paused.

Does the suspension affect cases with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)?

No, the suspension does not affect UNHCR procedures or UNHCR’s decisions about refugee status or resettlement. However, if UNHCR referred you to the United States for resettlement and you now have a USRAP case, your U.S. resettlement case is paused by this executive order.

If I was resettled to the U.S. through USRAP and am in the United States now, does the suspension affect my status here?

The suspension only affects refugees who are outside of the United States and want to enter the U.S. through USRAP. If you are in the United States, the suspension does not affect your immigration status. 

However, there are other new policies impacting refugees in the United States. For example, the government has been “revetting” or looking back at the cases of refugees already in the United States. If you get any kind of notice from the government about your previous refugee case, please refer to these resources.

For more information on what refugees in the United States should know, please see here.  

If I was resettled to the U.S. through USRAP or entered with SIV and I receive refugee benefits, will the Trump Administration pause on funding to refugee resettlement agencies affect me?

The recent court order in the lawsuit challenging the refugee program pause said that the government should continue to fund services for refugees and SIVs already in the United States. 

Additional information and resources

What is the U.S. refugee resettlement process? 

How can I check the status of my U.S. refugee application?

What is the UNHCR resettlement process?