The Trump administration's recent decision to suspend the federal refugee resettlement program and block funding for agencies responsible for this work has generated an immediate backlash from humanitarian organizations. On Monday, refugee support groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle, arguing that the move is illegal and violates Congress's authority to create immigration laws, according to the Associated Press. The lawsuit was filed by the International Refugee Assistance Project on behalf of several faith-based and humanitarian organizations, including Church World Service, HIAS, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest, as well as refugees affected by the ruling.

The organizations say Trump's executive order severely compromises their ability to provide essential assistance to refugees inside and outside the United States. According to the lawsuit, the suspension has already caused direct impacts, such as the cancellation of previously approved refugee trips and the prolonged separation of families awaiting reunification. In addition, they argue that the resettlement program, which has been in place for decades and has a rigorous vetting process, has always received bipartisan support, but has become the subject of political disputes in recent years. The Trump administration, in its first term, had already temporarily halted the program and significantly reduced the number of refugees accepted into the country.

In the United States, the agencies responsible for resettlement are mostly linked to religious institutions, and seven of the top ten organizations that perform this function receive federal funding. The suspension of the program, therefore, directly affects the work of these entities. The lawsuit filed against the Trump administration adds to other legal challenges faced by its immigration policies, such as attempts to revoke automatic citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and restrictions on access to asylum at the southern border, according to the publication.

According to the Associated Press, lawyer Melissa Keaney, representative of the International Refugee Assistance Project, criticized Trump's decision, stating that he cannot go against the will of Congress through a simple executive order. According to her, the United States has a moral and legal commitment to protect refugees and maintaining the suspension will have devastating consequences. The government's justification for the measure is that American cities and communities are already overwhelmed by record levels of migration and do not have the structure to welcome more refugees. So far, the Trump administration has not officially commented on the lawsuit.