Washington State Urges Court to Uphold Orders Blocking Trump Administration’s Attack on USRAP Refugees

SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pacito v. Trump, supporting a challenge to Executive Order 14163, which indefinitely suspended the entry of refugees through the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP) and effectively dismantled USRAP’s infrastructure by terminating agreements and funding for resettlement agencies.

“Washington has a long history of welcoming refugees and won’t be dissuaded by the president’s illegal executive order,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “We’re proud to file this amicus brief in support of those in need. Every community is made stronger by their presence.”

The attorneys general argue that the President’s Executive Order is unlawful because it ignores the Immigration and Nationality Act, which stipulates that in order to suspend the entry of a specific class of people, there must be a finding that those individuals are detrimental to the national interest. The President’s Order includes no findings specific to USRAP refugees, who are legally admitted to the country, authorized to work, and have undergone rigorous vetting. 

The attorneys general also claim that the President’s Order is illegal because cutting off federal funding for resettlement organizations directly impedes those agencies’ ability to fulfill their statutorily mandated requirement to meet the basic needs of refugees. Notably, the President’s Order undercuts Congressional intent to ensure newly arrived refugees can become economically self-sufficient and successfully integrate into communities where they live. The attorneys general assert the Executive Order has caused enormous public harm for refugees already living in states across the country. 

Additionally, the attorneys general refute the President’s claim that USRAP refugees are a “burden” and instead contend that such individuals are a benefit to their states. In fact, the attorneys general argue that their states have made active decisions to welcome refugees, who, between 2005 and 2019, contributed $124 billion more to the federal government than they consumed in public services and $92.3 billion more to state and local governments.  

In their brief, the attorneys general assert that lower courts were correct in issuing two preliminary injunctions against the President’s unlawful Order and ask the Court to uphold those injunctions, which prevent the Administration from enforcing and implementing the Order.

Attorney General Brown and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led the amicus brief. The attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin joined the brief.

The brief is available here.

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