Shaheen Applauds District Court Decision on Muslim Travel Ban That Allows Continued Refugee Resettlement

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after a federal judge in Hawaii ordered the Trump administration to allow refugees with a commitment from a resettlement agency into the United States.

“I’m relieved by the recent U.S. District Court decision that allows refugees who have already been approved for arrival to come to the United States,” said Shaheen. “We are a nation of immigrants and should remain welcoming to all nations and faiths, particularly those who are fleeing violence and oppression. I’m also pleased that the court has appropriately interpreted the Supreme Court’s ruling to include extended family, such as grandparents and aunts and uncles. This is just common sense. This life-saving court decision‎ is an important victory in this ongoing fight against the Trump administration's harmful and dangerous executive order.” 

Shaheen previously led a bipartisan letter sent to Trump administration officials urging the ongoing implementation of the U.S. refugee program in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing parts of President Trump’s Muslim ban to take effect. The Supreme Court ruled that refugee admissions will continue in cases where a refugee can demonstrate a ‘bona fide relationship’ with an American individual or entity. Despite that decision, the Trump administration has attempted ‎to block resettlement of refugees with bona fide relationships with U.S. nonprofits.