Pacito and Catalina arrive in United States after months of legal limbo

Pacito and Catalina — the Congolese couple who served as lead plaintiffs in Pacito v. Trump — arrived in the United States after Judge Whitehead's preliminary injunction protected their travel authorization. Their arrival marked a direct outcome of the Feb. 25 ruling: without the injunction, their confirmed departure had been canceled on Jan. 20, 2025. Their case illustrated how judicial review of executive immigration orders translates into specific outcomes for real families navigating the refugee process.