Trump Suspends Refugee Program for 90 Days, Stranding 10,000 Including Military Families

Jan 22, 2025, 04:53 PM

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20 suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for at least 90 days, resulting in the cancellation of flights for approximately 10,000 refugees, including nearly 1,660 Afghan refugees who had been cleared to resettle in the United States. Among those affected are family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel, unaccompanied minors, and individuals at risk of Taliban retribution. The order has led to the cancellation of travel plans for refugees scheduled to arrive before a January 27 deadline, impacting refugees from various countries. The State Department has indefinitely suspended refugee arrivals and halted processing of existing cases. Tens of thousands of Afghans hoping to start new lives in America have been left in limbo, with about 15,000 waiting in Pakistan under the resettlement program. Many refugees are appealing to President Trump to exempt them from the order, citing the dangers they face and their support for U.S. troops.