Judge mulls Trump refugee resettlement cap
GREENBELT, Md. — A federal judge Wednesday pressed a government lawyer to explain why President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing state and local governments to reject refugees, questioning whether the change was politically motivated.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte in Maryland didn’t immediately rule on a request by three national refugee resettlement agencies for a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from enforcing the order.
During a hearing on the request, the judge said the president’s order essentially changed a federal law governing the resettlement of refugees.
“On what authority is the president acting?” Messitte asked Justice Department attorney Bradley Humphreys.
Humphreys said the Refugee Act of 1980 gives the president “ample authority” to make such a change.
“Why change it now?” Messitte asked. “Is it purely a political thing?”
Humphreys said the executive order is designed to enhance the involvement of state and local officials in the process of resettling refugees. But he insisted it doesn’t give them a “veto” over resettlement decisions.
The Trump administration announced in November that resettlement agencies must get written consent from state and local officials in any jurisdiction where they want to help resettle refugees beyond June 2020.
“It’s not at all clear how it could be anything other than a veto, practically speaking,” said Linda Evarts, an attorney for one of the resettlement agencies that sued in November. “When you see how it operates in practice, or how we assume it will operate in practice, it can only mean a veto.”
The agencies argue the order illegally conflicts with the Refugee Act.