The Associated Press’s FARNOUSH AMIRI and REBECCA SANTANA
Washington (AP) The Trump administration has canceled the travel arrangements of refugees who were authorized to enter the country prior to a deadline of January 27 that suspended America’s refugee resettlement program.
Currently, thousands of refugees are stuck in different parts of the world.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that included the suspension. It left open the potential that individuals who had booked tickets prior to that deadline and had gone through the drawn-out process of being granted refugee status and permission to enter the United States would still be able to enter under the radar.
However, the U.S. agency in charge of processing and receiving refugees informed personnel and stakeholders in an email seen by The Associated Press on Wednesday that the entry of refugees in the United States has been halted until further notice.
The more than 1,600 Afghans who were authorized to relocate to the United States as part of the program established by the Biden administration following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 are among those impacted. This figure covers family members of U.S. military personnel who are currently on active service as well as those who worked alongside American soldiers throughout the war.
The agency was given until January 27 by Trump’s order to start stopping all processing and travel. However, it now seems that the order’s timing was shifted up. The reason for the adjustment was not immediately apparent.
People who travel directly to the U.S.-Mexico border with the intention of applying for asylum in the United States are not the same as refugees. In order to be eligible for resettlement, refugees must be residing outside of the United States. The United Nations often refers refugees to the State Department.
Before arriving in the United States, they go through a rigorous screening process. They are typically linked with a resettlement organization once they arrive in the United States to assist them in acclimating to American life. This includes assistance in obtaining employment and enrolling their kids in school.