Dear John,

We have great news! This morning, a federal judge ruled in our favor in HIAS v. Trump, blocking the administration’s executive order that gave states and municipalities the authority to deny refugee resettlement in their communities.

It’s a huge win for refugees.

Click here for HIAS’ statement, the court order, and judge’s opinion.

The judge said that the executive order is “unlawful,” “flies in the face of clear Congressional intent” and “does not appear to serve the overall public interest”. 

Today’s decision reflects the values of a country with a long tradition of welcoming refugees. In fact, before the decision was announced, 42 governors had already declared their support for refugee resettlement, following powerful advocacy campaigns in all 50 states. To all of you who were involved with local outreach, thank you.

While a final ruling is yet to come, today is a huge win for the refugee program. Thank you for standing with us as we stand with refugees.