Stand with refugees

URGENT: The government has halted all funding for recently arrived refugee families. Your support is needed now!

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Act Now Donate
Start of main content.

Press Release // Refugee Resettlement

Refugee Resettlement Organizations Win Lawsuit Against Trump Administration

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

January 8, 2021

Contact: Timothy Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org | 443-257-6310

Baltimore, MD – The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled against a Trump administration executive order requiring state and local governments to issue explicit consent in order to continue refugee resettlement in their jurisdictions. Global Refuge, along with two other resettlement agencies, filed a complaint challenging the executive order in November 2019 and won a preliminary injunction in January 2020.

“This ruling provides critical relief,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge. “Those who have been waiting for years to reunite with their families will no longer have to choose between their loved ones and the resettlement services that are so critical in their first months as new Americans.”

When the Executive Order was still in effect and required refugee resettlement agencies to obtain explicit consent from state and local authorities, 42 governors and more than 100 local authorities affirmed their willingness to continue resettlement. Texas Governor Abbott was the sole dissenter who formally voiced his opposition to welcoming refugees.

“The Trump administration made it possible for states and localities to use refugees as political pawns, but it had the opposite effect. We saw a tremendous outpouring of community support, from sea to shining sea,” noted Vignarajah. “These welcoming communities represent the full diversity of America — from urban to rural, conservative to progressive. Neighbors came together to sift fact from fiction, and decided overwhelmingly to welcome refugees.”

Vignarajah concluded, “The urgency of the moment calls for love and compassion, and a recommitment to uphold the American legacy of hospitality for those who need it the most. It is our civic duty to advocate for the voiceless and hold those in power accountable for restoring the humanitarian principles that have long guided our nation’s moral leadership.”

Read the full 4th Circuit Opinion here 

Founded in 1939, Global Refuge (LIRS) is one of the largest immigration and refugee resettlement agencies in the United States. Global Refuge is nationally recognized for its leadership working with and advocating for refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, immigrants in detention, families fractured by migration and other vulnerable populations. Through 80 years of service and advocacy, Global Refuge has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America. 

The Latest

  • News

    March 7, 2025

    Global Refuge Joins Interfaith Solidarity Statement on Refugees and Other Immigrants

    On March 7, Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah  joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and other faith leaders in affirming our solidarity with and support of refugee and other immigrant communities. 

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    February 27, 2025

    Global Refuge Responds to Sudden Termination of U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Grants

    Global Refuge today expressed deep concern over the U.S. Department of State’s sudden decision to terminate its grant agreements for the reception and placement of legally admitted refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    February 2, 2025

    Global Refuge Statement on Misinformation around our Humanitarian Work

    Global Refuge condemns in the strongest possible terms the false accusations lodged against our humanitarian work. As a faith-based nonprofit, we have faithfully walked alongside legally admitted refugees & immigrants for 85 years.

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    January 27, 2025

    Global Refuge Condemns Federal Stop Work Order Halting Refugee Resettlement Assistance

    Global Refuge expresses deep concern and dismay over an unprecedented stop work order issued by the State Department, which halts all refugee reception and placement services under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

    Read More
  • News · Community Engagement

    January 25, 2025

    5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025

    Discover 5 ways to help refugees and immigrants in 2025. From volunteering to advocacy, learn how you can make a difference through Global Refuge, the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving children, refugees, and immigrants.

    Read More

Share