Federal judge orders Trump admin to immediately resettle 12K migrants
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to immediately resettle some 12,000 refugees into the U.S. under a court order that partially blocks President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program.
U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the order despite the Trump administration saying during a hearing last week that it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and would likely appeal any order requiring thousands to be admitted.
"This Court will not entertain the Government's result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says," Whitehead wrote Monday. "The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law — and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit — while it seeks such clarification."
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S.
DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: 'SAFEST OPTION'
In February, Whitehead blocked the Trump administration's move to suspend refugee admissions into the United States in response to a lawsuit from refugee aid groups.
Whitehead said at the time that Trump's actions were an "effective nullification of congressional will" in setting up the nation's refugee admissions program.
NOEM CALLS FOR DEATH PENALTY FOLLOWING MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD
Whitehead ordered the Trump administration within the next seven days to resume processing the cases of refugees who are protected by the court order.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The federal judge also told the government to immediately take steps to facilitate admission to the U.S. for those refugees whose clearances, including medical and security authorizations, have not yet lapsed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump booed and cheered at the Kennedy Center while attending 'Les Misérables'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The drama in the audience rivaled the spectacle on stage on Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, where President Donald Trump went to the opening night of 'Les Misérables' as he tightens his grip on the venerable performing arts institution. It was his first time attending a show there since his election, and he was booed and cheered as he took his seat alongside first lady Melania Trump. Near the end of the intermission, someone loudly cursed his name, drawing applause. Several drag queens were in the crowd, their presence a protest against Trump's complaints that the Kennedy Center had hosted too many drag shows in the past. Despite the condemnation, the event had a MAGA-does-Broadway feel. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, was there, as were Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha. Before the show began, Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with guests and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took selfies. Laura Loomer, the conspiracy theorist who has advised Trump on personnel decisions, posted a video from a seat near the stage. Trump walked the red carpet with the first lady when they arrived at the Kennedy Center, which he's been remaking in his image while excising what he describes as liberal ideology. 'We want to bring it back, and we want to bring it back better than ever,' Trump said. The Republican president has a particular affection for 'Les Misérables,' the sprawling musical set in 19th-century France, and has occasionally played its songs at his events. One of them, 'Do You Hear the People Sing?,' is a revolutionary rallying cry inspired by the 1832 rebellion against the French king. The three-hour production featured singing and dancing, with the sounds of explosions and gunfire filling the theater as protesters and soldiers clashed on stage. For Trump's critics, it was an unnerving echo of what's unfolding in Los Angeles, where Trump has deployed National Guard troops in response to protests over his deportation policies. 'Someone explain the plot to him," California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, wrote on social media. Terry Gee, a bartender, bought his ticket for the show in November and didn't mind Trump's presence. It's his sixth time seeing 'Les Misérables,' and he said, 'I'm going to enjoy the show regardless." Hannah Watkins, a nurse, only learned that Trump would be there when the Kennedy Center distributed information about extra security and she searched online to see what was happening. 'I've seen a lot of famous people so far, which is exciting,' said Watkins, who had claimed a spot near the VIP entrance with her mother. 'Honestly, we just like 'Les Mis' and are excited to be here.' Before Trump, presidential involvement in the Kennedy Center's affairs had been limited to naming members to the board of trustees and attending the taping of its annual honors program in the fall. But after returning to office in January, Trump stunned the arts world by firing the Kennedy Center's longtime director and board and replacing them with loyalists, who then named him as chairman. Trump promised to overhaul its programming, management and even appearance as part of an effort to put his stamp on the national arts scene. His latest moves have upset some of the center's patrons and performers. In March, the audience booed the Vances after they slipped into upper-level seats to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Trump appointed Usha Vance to the Kennedy Center board along with Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox News Channel hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham, among other supporters. Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including 'Hamilton,' have canceled planned runs at the center. Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants including musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Understudies may have performed in some roles Wednesday night because of boycotts by 'Les Misérables' cast members, but Trump said he wasn't bothered by anyone skipping the performance. 'I couldn't care less,' he said. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has adopted a more aggressive posture toward the arts. The White House has taken steps to cancel millions of dollars in previously awarded federal humanities grants to arts and culture groups, and Trump's budget blueprint proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also targeted Smithsonian museums by signing executive orders to restrict their funding and by attempting to fire the director of the National Portrait Gallery. The president characterized previous programming at the Kennedy Center as 'out of control with rampant political propaganda' and said it featured 'some very inappropriate shows,' including a 'Marxist anti-police performance' and 'lesbian-only Shakespeare.' The Kennedy Center, which is supported by government money and private donations, opened in 1971 and for decades has been seen as an apolitical celebration of the arts. It was first conceived in the late 1950s during the administration of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, who backed a bill from the Democratic-led Congress calling for a National Culture Center. In the early 1960s, Democratic President John F. Kennedy launched a fundraising initiative, and his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed into law a 1964 bill renaming the project the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Kennedy had been assassinated the year before. ___ Associated Press writer Mark Kennedy in New York contributed to this report. Darlene Superville And Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Let her walk': After public outcry, Cumberland exchange student walks at graduation
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — A Cumberland High School exchange student was allowed to walk at graduation Wednesday night following a last-minute reversal sparked by community backlash. Clara, a foreign exchange student from France, was blindsided and confused after school leaders pulled her aside after rehearsal wrapped Tuesday, telling her she would not be able to participate in the ceremony. According to Jason Dean, a Cumberland School Committee member, Clara's host family emailed the entire committee expressing that she was devastated and had never been told she couldn't walk. Not only was it never communicated to Clara or her host family, but the school allowed her to go through the full graduation preparation process—including paying dues, ordering a cap and gown, and submitting the proper pronunciation of her name. Dean clarified that Clara was not seeking a diploma, but simply wanted recognition for completing her senior year abroad. 'Since November, she had assumed she was going to be allowed to walk across the stage,' Dean explained. 'She never thought she was going to get a diploma.' While certain policies prevent students from walking if they do not meet graduation requirements, Dean said that wasn't the case here. 'The policy that the superintendent quoted didn't mention foreign exchange students or people that weren't matriculating for the diploma from other countries,' he said. This decision prompted swift backlash from parents and community members, who criticized the school for poor communication and a lack of transparency. Word spread quickly on social media, with several people saying Clara had been 'led on' and raising concerns about the 'fairness and inclusivity' of the district's policies. In response, two emergency meetings were called—the first an executive session behind closed doors, which Dean said he strongly opposed. 'Whatever can be done in the public eye, in the spirit of transparency, should be done in the public eye,' Dean said. 'Unfortunately, they didn't invite the student or the host parents to that meeting, so when we did go from executive to the public session, they weren't there to explain themselves.' In the interim, the superintendent reportedly said Clara's previous host family was notified in July 2024 that she wouldn't be able to walk. However, Dean said that was not clearly communication to her current host when she transferred. He said Clara was so confident she'd be participating that she moved her return flight to France ahead of the ceremony. On Wednesday morning, the principal issued a statement saying he stood by his decision, a position backed by the superintendent, leaving it up to the School Committee to make the final call. Ultimately, the committee voted 6-0 to let Clara walk, and after a stressful 48 hours, she crossed the stage Wednesday night alongside her classmates. 'It really was the political uproar that caused the special meeting,' Dean said, adding that the justification for the reversal was the short notice of the situation. Dean said that the committee plans to revisit the district's policy to prevent similar confusion in the future, such as students who may receive diplomas after summer school. NEXT: Warwick twins graduating high school as valedictorian and salutatorian Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
One in 67 people worldwide remains forcibly displaced: UNHCR report
At least 123.2 million people, or one in 67 individuals worldwide, remain forcibly displaced, according to a report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today. The number of displaced people has increased by seven million people, or 6 percent, compared with the end of 2023. This continues a 13-year trend which has seen a year-on-year increase in the number of displaced people globally. However, the UNHCR estimated that forced displacement fell in the first four months of this year, to 122.1 million by the end of April 2025. 'We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes,' said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Of the 123.2 million total forcibly displaced, 73.5 million are internally displaced within their own countries due to conflict or other crises. This is an increase of 6.3 million compared with 2023. Internally displaced people (IDPs) account for 60 percent of the majority of those who have been forced to flee globally. In Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimates that about 90 percent of the population, or more than two million people, have been displaced by Israel's continuing assault. As of 2024, the number of refugees stood at 42.7 million, a decrease of 613,600 from the previous year. Of this number, 31 million are under the UNHCR's mandate, 5.9 million are Palestinian refugees under the mandate of UNRWA, and another 5.9 million need international protection. According to the UNHCR, the lower number of refugees in 2024 reflects lower estimates of Afghan and Syrian refugees and updated reporting on Ukrainian refugees. However, the number of Sudanese refugees increased by nearly 600,000 to 2.1 million. The number of asylum seekers – people seeking protection in another country due to persecution or fear of harm in their home country – waiting for a decision stood at 8.4 million, an increase of 22 percent from the previous year. This puts the number of displaced people globally at one in 67 people. In 1951, the UN established the Refugee Convention to protect the rights of refugees in Europe in the aftermath of World War II. In 1967, the convention was expanded to address displacement across the rest of the world. When the Refugee Convention was born, there were 2.1 million refugees. By 1980, the number of refugees recorded by the UN surpassed 10 million for the first time. Wars in Afghanistan and Ethiopia during the 1980s caused the number of refugees to double to 20 million by 1990. The number of refugees remained fairly consistent over the next two decades. However, the invasion of Afghanistan by the United States in 2001 and that of Iraq in 2003, together with the civil wars in South Sudan and Syria, resulted in refugee numbers exceeding 30 million by the end of 2021. The war in Ukraine, which started in 2022, led to one of the fastest-growing refugee crises since World War II, with 5.7 million people forced to flee Ukraine in less than a year. By the end of 2023, six million Ukrainians remained forcibly displaced. The number of IDPs has doubled in the past 10 years, with a steep incline since 2020. Conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has triggered the world's largest displacement crisis, with a total of 14.3 million Sudanese remaining displaced at the end of 2024. This was 3.5 million more people than 12 months prior. In 2024, more than one-third of all forcibly displaced people globally were Sudanese (14.3 million), Syrian (13.5 million), Afghan (10.3 million) or Ukrainian (8.8 million). In 2024, 1.6 million refugees returned to their home country. 'However, many of these refugees returned to Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan or Ukraine, despite the fragile situations in each,' Matthew Saltmarsh, UNHCR's media head, said. 'Returns to places in conflict or instability are far from ideal and often unsustainable.' In 2024, 8.2 million IDPs returned to their area of origin. The UNHCR estimates that nine in 10 refugees and IDPs returned to just eight countries, which included Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Lebanon, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. 'Large IDP returns during the year were also registered in several countries that simultaneously saw significant new displacements, such as the DRC (2.4 million), Myanmar (378,000), Syria (514,000) or Ukraine (782,000),' Saltmarsh said. 'Even amid the devastating cuts, we have seen some rays of hope over the last six months,' Grandi said. 'Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home after over a decade uprooted. The country remains fragile, and people need our help to rebuild their lives again.'
