The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit blocked a Trump administration refugee policy Friday, halting the ability of state and local governments to unilaterally reject resettlements in their jurisdictions.
The Refugee Act, passed by Congress in 1980, created a refugee resettlement program, bringing refugees into the US for humanitarian concerns. An individual seeking participation must be approved as a refugee and sponsored by a resettlement agency. In accordance with the law, the federal government must “consult regularly” with the entities involved in the process.