9th Circuit Reverses Refugee Processing Order, Blocking Thousands

The 9th Circuit Court reversed a decision allowing refugee processing, impacting over 100,000 refugees and funding services.

March 8, 2026

The legal battle over refugee admissions in the United States has taken another turn as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Arizona, has reversed a previous court ruling that allowed refugee processing to proceed.

This development follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, which halted all refugee admissions and related funding. The executive order led to a lawsuit filed by resettlement agencies representing refugees who were poised for resettlement but barred from entering the U.S. A district court had initially sided with these agencies, lifting the ban. Mevlüde Akay Alp, a senior staff attorney with the International Refugee Assistance Project, expressed the significance of that decision.

“That was an incredible moment for many refugees who were on the verge of being resettled in the United States, because it required the government to re-open refugee processing,” said Akay Alp.

The recent reversal by the appeals court now leaves over 100,000 refugees once again unable to enter the U.S. However, the court also mandated that the Trump administration continue funding services for refugees already residing in the country.

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