US Federal Judge Partially Lifts Trump's Ban on Refugees

TEHRAN (defapress) - A federal judge in Seattle has partially lifted a ban on certain refugees imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration, according to the ruling.

News ID: 67696

Date: 24 December 2017 - 15:00

The ruling was issued by US District Judge James Robart on Saturday after he had heard arguments in lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union and Jewish Family Service, claiming that the ban was preventing people from reuniting with their families legally living in the United States.

"Plaintiffs in both cases are refugees, who find themselves in dire circumstances, their family members who yearn to be reunited with them, and humanitarian organizations whose fundamental mission is to help these vulnerable refugees resettle in the United States. Plaintiffs in both cases present compelling circumstances of irreparable harm inflicted by the federal agencies’ action at issue here," the ruling read, Sputnik reported.

The ruling though does not apply to refugees who do not have "a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."

On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a travel ban sought by Trump for six Muslim majority nations should not apply to people with strong ties to the country.

Demonstrators participate in a protest by the Yemeni community against US President Donald Trump's travel ban in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, February 2, 2017

On January 27, President Trump signed an executive order barring nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Syria from entering, sparking protests. It has been challenged in court and revised twice to remove Iraq from the list and allow some exceptions.

In October, Trump's administration paused refugee admissions from 11 countries mostly in the Middle East and Africa, pending a 90-day security review, which was set to expire in late January. The list of countries includes Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.