Nov 21, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Refugee resettlement agencies sue Trump admin over executive order

Refugee protesters wear orange life jackets in Washington.

Protesters gather at the Capitol as they protest U.S. refugee policies. Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Three refugee resettlement agencies filed suit on Thursday against the Trump administration for an executive order signed in September that permits state and local officials to block resettlement in their jurisdictions, the groups announced.

The big picture: The order requires cities and states to give written consent before refugees can be settled there. The three agencies, HIAS, a Jewish nonprofit, Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, are asking the court to block the order as it is tried in court.

What they're saying: The groups argue the order seeks to "dismantle the nearly 40-year-old federal resettlement infrastructure and restrict refugees from entering the United States."

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