Supreme Court Urged to Hear Refugee Ban Arguments 

In response to the decision by the Supreme Court to cancel oral arguments on President Trump’s travel ban, Human Rights First’s Hardy Vieux issued the following statement:

“The case pending before the Supreme Court focuses on two aspects of the Trump Administration’s executive order: the discriminatory ban on individuals from six Muslim-majority countries, and the suspension of the refugee resettlement program. Though the administration released a new order, it only builds on the travel ban and does not address the cruel and unnecessary refugee ban, which was not impacted by last night’s proclamation.

The refugee ban has upended the lives of thousands of vulnerable individuals. Many of these at-risk refugees, who have fled persecution and still face grave risk, look to the United States as their last hope for protection. As nothing has changed with respect to the refugee ban, we urge the Court to proceed with this portion of the case.”

Resettlement is an important path to protection for a small portion of the world’s most at-risk refugees. It is also a critical tool for advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security interests, supporting front-line states and allies who are hosting the overwhelming majority of the world’s refugees.