This article was last updated May 19, 2025

Summary

This article is for people who have questions about current U.S. refugee resettlement policies, including the new “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.

Can refugees still come to the United States?

This is a complicated question to answer, and the answer might be different for different people. To understand it, let’s talk about the “executive order” related to refugee resettlement, how that has changed US policy, and what the current rules are for refugees who want to come to America.

The U.S. refugee resettlement program is called the United States Refugee Admissions Program, or “USRAP.” An “executive order” is an official document from the president that requires the government to do certain things.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program.” 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. 

Is the US refugee resettlement program still on hold?

IRAP has filed a lawsuit against the US government that says that it is illegal to pause or stop the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This case is still in progress, but at this time, a judge has ordered the government to restart the program. Because of a few different court orders in this case, the government is now required to process and allow travel for only “conditionally approved” refugees who: 

1) were scheduled to travel to the United States as of January 20, 2025

and

2) had what the courts call a “strong reliance interest” from that scheduled travel.

The lawsuit

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.  

Current status

On May 15, 2025, a judge ordered that processing and travel must start again for “conditionally approved” refugees who:

1) were scheduled to travel to the United States as of January 20, 2025 

and 

2) who have a “strong reliance interest,” as decided on a case-by-case basis. 

The court’s order states that any refugee who was scheduled to travel by February 3, 2025 is presumed to have a “strong reliance interest,” and processing and travel for these cases must resume immediately. Examples of a “strong reliance interest” include giving up your housing or job because you had a travel date, but there are other examples too.

In the same order, the court said that it would appoint an official to be in charge of  a process for making decisions about the cases of refugees who had travel booked after February 3, 2025.

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

How does this executive order affect my case?

Except as to conditionally approved refugees with confirmed travel as of January 20, 2025 and a strong reliance interest arising from that, 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.

The government has, however, processed some cases of Afrikaners and “disfavored minorities” applying through the new program in South Africa.

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. Welcome Corps-sponsored refugees who were conditionally approved and had travel booked as of January 20, 2025 and had a strong reliance interest should still be processed and travel. 

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

Maybe. 

Filing an Application, Interviews, and other Processing: Afghan and Iraqi SIV applications, interviews, and application processing at embassies and consulates are not affected by the suspension because they are not part of USRAP.

Travel: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has paused flights for Afghan and Iraqi SIV holders. SIV holders are still allowed to book their own travel. 

Refugee Benefits: Because of another Trump administration action, SIV holders who arrive in the U.S. may be impacted by changes to funding for refugee resettlement agencies. For more information, please read the section in this guide below on refugee benefits.  

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?

As of January 28, 2025, the U.S. government has paused departure assistance flights from Afghanistan. There have been news reports that the government is shutting down this program later this year, but the government has not made any official announcements on this topic.

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

We can’t give definite answers about any one person’s case. However, we do know how this order will affect different types of cases. 

Case types that are not affected by this order

• 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. 
  • “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. 
  • 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. 
  • 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.

Case types that are affected by this order

• 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 likely to be affected. 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 likely to be affected. 

• 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 likely to be affected. However, immigrant visa processing through the regular I-130 process listed above will not be affected.
• If your relative or someone else applied to sponsor you through Welcome Corps: Your case is likely to be affected. 

• If your relative applied to bring you to the United States through the Central American Minors (CAM) Program: Your refugee case is likely to be affected, because CAM refugee cases are part of USRAP. IRAP also understands CAM parole processing has been paused, but the government has not made official announcements about this, and we do not have details at this time.

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 may be affected 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. Please read the section above if you are filing for family reunification for a relative to see if it may be affected.

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?

Maybe. Separately from the USRAP suspension, the Trump administration has told resettlement agencies in the U.S. to stop using some money from the U.S. government to provide services to refugees. Some resettlement agencies have continued to provide services and some services may stop or change. IRAP has challenged the pause in these services as well as part of our lawsuit.

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?