Trump ‘cruelly’ leaves thousands of refugees stranded after he cancels flights to the US
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Resettlement groups blindsided by immediate and indefinite suspension of refugee program. Refugee resettlement groups were blindsided by Donald Trump’s sudden suspension of refugee admissions into the United States, which immediately canceled travel plans for thousands of people who were cleared for entry.
Refugees who are already in the United States will continue receiving services, but all resettlement efforts under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program are now suspended indefinitely — including “all refugee case processing and pre-departure activities,” according to the memo.
Roughly 10,000 refugees were booked for travel, which is now canceled. The decision is expected to have far-reaching consequences for refugee families and people whose security clearances are at risk of expiring, with no clear timelines for their resettlement.
Early implementation of the indefinite freeze is “particularly cruel, unexpected, and unconscionable,” according to John Slocum, director of Refugee Council USA. “This news shatters the dreams of refugees, who have already undergone thorough vetting by the U.S. government, and planning to reunify with loved ones and places children’s lives in danger who were waiting for flights to reunify with their parents in the United States,” he said.
