Boston federal court temporarily blocks new refugee policy
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Massachusetts-based refugee resettlement groups say a new Trump administration rule could make it easier to strip thousands of refugees nationwide of legal status, per a lawsuit filed this week.
The big picture: It's the latest legal fight between these organizations and the Trump administration as it overhauls the refugee resettlement system.
- The Trump administration considers the reforms much-needed, but refugee resettlement agencies and nonprofits say it sparks fear and uncertainty for refugees who were already vetted.
Driving the news: A coalition of refugee resettlement groups and four refugees sued the Trump administration Monday, accusing the government of denying refugees due process rights and violating federal law.
- The lawsuit centers on an interim rule the Department of Homeland Security announced Oct. 14 that requires refugees to respond to a notice of intent to terminate their status within 10 days, down from 30 days.
- The coalition includes two Massachusetts nonprofits — Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (JFS) and the International Institute of New England (IINE) — and four other advocacy groups.
- There are also four individual plaintiffs, including a Massachusetts-based refugee identified as a 27-year-old Afghan national named Lida A.
The latest: A federal judge in Boston granted a 10-day stay Tuesday, blocking the government from implementing the rule until early November.
- U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick's order didn't address the advocacy groups' arguments against the government's pause on processing refugees' green card applications.
Between the lines: It's not common for refugees to receive a notice of intent to terminate their status, which federal law says happens if a refugee is found to have lied about qualifying for refugee status, the coalition's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
- But a series of changes under President Trump suggest more refugees could receive these notices, with little time to obtain legal representation and fight the allegations against them, Jeff Thielman, IINE's executive director, told Axios.
Catch up quick: Restrictions on already admitted refugees under Trump ramped up after an Afghan refugee shot and killed two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., in November 2025.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) put all pending green card applications on hold for refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.
- The agency also implemented a re-vetting policy for these refugees.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tried to impose a new policy letting agents detain refugees who hadn't obtained green cards within their first year, but a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the measure.
The other side: "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services found an alarming erosion of screening and vetting measures under the Biden administration in order to rush processing and maximize the number of refugees admitted to the United States," Zach Kahler, a spokesperson for USCIS, said in a statement.
- "DHS is strengthening accountability and ensuring that refugee status is reserved only for those who were eligible under the law," Kahler said.
By the numbers: IINE serves 860 affected refugees, and JFS serves another 1,062, per the lawsuit.
- JFS has one accredited representative on staff reviewing clients' immigration filings.
- If refugees started getting these notices under the 10-day deadline, JFS estimates it would need 10 such staffers, plus translators, case workers and drivers, diverting resources from its programs for Jewish communities and elders, per the lawsuit.
What we're watching: Attorneys are due in federal court for a hearing on Tuesday.