Impact Fund & Amici Urge Ninth circuit to Affirm The preliminary injunction Blocking Trump Admin From Dismantling Refugee Admissions Program

Fawn Rajbhandari-Korr, Training Director and Senior Counsel and Megan Flynn, Law Fellow

Last month, the Impact Fund, Justice in Aging, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and fellow social justice organizations filed an amicus brief in Pacito v. Trump in the Ninth Circuit.  The court is reviewing the Trump administration’s executive orders dismantling the United States Refugee Admissions Program, including the suspension of all funding for nonprofit refugee resettlement partners.  These executive actions halted refugee admissions into the United States indefinitely and left thousands of refugees stranded overseas, including those previously approved for resettlement.   

Pacito v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-2:55 (W.D. Wash.), was filed by individuals waiting to reunite with their families, parents who sold all their belongings only to have their travel plans cancelled, one recently resettled individual who lost their survival benefits after the funding suspension, and nonprofit resettlement partners experiencing severely disrupted operations.  The district court below granted two preliminary injunctions, first halting the suspension of refugee admissions and related funding and then halting additional suspensions of funding to resettlement partners.  The Ninth Circuit consolidated the administration’s appeals of both injunctions.  

A refugee in Syria. Refugee resettlement programs are essential for helping refugees settle in a new environment.

On appeal, our amicus brief emphasizes the critical role of refugee resettlement partners in helping older adult refugees adjust to life in the United States.  These resettlement agencies provide initial reception and support for refugees, such as food, furniture, and climate-appropriate clothing; assistance securing housing and potential employment; transportation; initial cash assistance; and enrollment into English language classes.  Resettlement agencies also connect refugees to vital services and federal programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Social Security Income, and Housing Choice Voucher Programs and Public Housing.  In particular, these programs provide older adult refugees with valuable support, allowing them to age with dignity.  We argue that older refugees are at heightened risk of poor health outcomes and financial instability and rely on principal services offered by resettlement agencies.  Without this support and guidance, accessing these programs can be an insurmountable barrier for older refugees, leading to worse health and economic outcomes and difficulty in successfully adjusting to life in the United States.  

The Impact Fund is grateful to stand with amici: Justice in Aging, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, Centro Legal de la Raza, Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, Diverse Elders Coalition, La Raza Centro Legal, Oasis Legal Services, Self-Help for the Elderly, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.