Trump signs EO 14163 suspending refugee admissions; courts issue injunctions, Ninth Circuit partly reverses in March 2026

On his first day in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14163, suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program indefinitely and halting the entry of refugees already approved for resettlement. Judge Whitehead (D. Md.) issued a preliminary injunction on February 25, 2025, finding plaintiffs likely to succeed on statutory and due process grounds. The Ninth Circuit on March 5, 2026 reversed the broader elements of the injunction, holding that the president's INA § 212(f) authority extends to approved-but-not-yet-admitted refugees, while leaving intact protections for refugees already in-transit.